Grain and Oilseed General Reporting Instructions

Grain and Oilseed Prices Received
Monthly Survey
General Reporting Instructions
REPORTING TOTAL QUANTITIES PURCHASED:

REPORTING TOTAL VALUE:

REPORTING CONTRACT PURCHASES:

Report quantities of grains and oilseeds
purchased directly from U.S. farmers.

For each transaction, “VALUE TO FARMER” equals
the agreed-upon price.

Do not report commodities purchased:
● from other elevators, firms, brokers or truck buyers.
● from producers or firms in other countries.
● for resale as seed.

Plus:
● premiums associated with quality factors (test
weight, protein content, etc.) or moisture content.
● premiums for direct delivery by farmers to mill,
processor, or river or rail terminal.

Quantities purchased and total value should be
comparable for a given month. DO NOT report the
quantities one month and the value in a different
month.

For purchases where the intended use of the
commodity may change over time (e.g., feed vs.
malting barley), report for the intended use at the time
of purchase.
Report quantities on a dry or shrink basis at
STANDARD MOISTURE CONTENT. For grain
purchased on a “wet” bushel basis (no quantity
reduction taken for shrinkage), convert to standard
moisture by estimating the proportion of grain
purchased that was above standard moisture and
applying a shrink factor based on your best estimate
of its average excessive moisture.
For example:
● If corn purchased = 10,000 bu.
● Average moisture on 3,000 bu =17.5%
● Shrinkage = 2.4% (3,000 bu. X 0.024 = 72 bu.)
● “Dry” quantity = 7,000 + (3,000 - 72) = 9,928 bu.
Total quantity equals the sum of all quantities
purchased from farmers during the report period.

Less:
● price discounts associated with quality factors (test
weight, protein content, foreign matter, damage, etc.)
or moisture content.
Do Not Deduct:
● check-off fees or other marketing or service fees.
● transportation or handling charges from the farm to
point of first sale.
● charges for drying, cleaning, storage, or grading.

● Report cash sales, forward contracts and deferred
payment contracts in the month when the purchaser
takes ownership and payment is made.
● Basis, minimum price, option or hedge-to-arrive
contracts should be reported in the month grain is
delivered. Estimate the gross value of these
purchases using the spot price on date of delivery.
(Alternatively, you may report both quantity and
value for these contracts in the settlement month.)
● Delayed pricing or no price established contracts
should be reported in the month when price is
determined.
● Pooled grain should be reported when the major
portion of the payment is made. Value should
include an estimate of any anticipated end-of-year
payments.

United States Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service
www.nass.usda.gov