Oats: Stocks
Why one drought can drain a small crop's stocks
Why one drought can drain a small crop's stocks What this tab covers How much is left and how much is held. For minerals and energy: reserves, current output, years of supply and recycling for the top five countries. For farm commodities: production, ending stocks and stocks-to-use for the top five producers (USDA, October 2026). It also covers inventories and stockpiles.Top five producers: production and stocks (USDA, 2026/27)
| Country | Production | Share | Ending stocks | Stocks-to-use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | 8,000 | 35.3% | 1,125 | 13.9% |
| Canada | 3,100 | 13.7% | 442 | 13.6% |
| Russia | 2,900 | 12.8% | 149 | 5.1% |
| Australia | 1,800 | 7.9% | 322 | 17.9% |
| Brazil | 1,150 | 5.1% | 93 | 8.2% |
| World | 22,660 | 100% | 3,238 | 14.2% |
Stockholding and policy
No recycling applies. World ending stocks were 3.41 Mt in 2025/26 (USDA PSD), held mainly in the EU (1.15 Mt), Canada (0.58 Mt) and the US (0.46 Mt). India holds no oat stocks and has no public stockholding policy for oats.
Dried oats store well in bins and elevators. Stocks sit mainly with Canadian farmers and with millers in the US and Europe. Because the crop is small and exportable supply is concentrated in Canada, one drought can drain stocks quickly. Millers need food-grade quality, so feed-grade stocks do not fully cover a shortage of milling oats. Exchange-registered stocks in Chicago are small.