Record oat harvest in Spain forces producers to revise feed recipes

In 2025, Spain faced an atypical situation on the oat market: production reached 1.5 million tons (excluding carryovers), which, given record low prices, put farmers in a difficult situation. In response, industry associations propose using excess volumes in compound feed.

The ASAJA farmers’ association has approached the Spanish Confederation of Compound Feed Producers (CESFAC) with a proposal to include oats in recipes along with the usual grain crops – barley and wheat. Oats usually go through alternative distribution channels, but this year, favorable weather conditions and high winter crop yields have made it one of the most surplus cereals.

A special feature of the oat market is its local nature: it practically does not move either within the EU or outside the country. As a result, supply significantly exceeds demand, and farmers are faced with a collapse in prices and a lack of buyers.

According to estimates by agri-food cooperatives, the oat harvest represented around 6.8% of the total winter grain harvest in Spain. Additional pressure on the market is created by significant grain surpluses from last season. ASAJA emphasizes that the use of oats in feed mixtures will reduce dependence on imports, stabilize the agri-food balance, and will not worsen the quality of livestock products.

Tags: compound feed, oats