UK: Spring barley acreage seen up this year but drought reduces crop prospects

The U.K.’s winter barley acreage is estimated at 382 thousand ha this year (423 thousand in 2017), spring barley at 784 thousand ha versus 754 thousand last year, H. M. Gauger GmbH reported early in July.

Certified seed sales were: winter barley 77% feed, 23% malting varieties, of which 7.7% Venture. Spring barley in England/Wales was Planet 29%, Propino 26%, Laureate 12%, feed 10.5%; in Scotland Concerto 33.5%, Laureate 21%, feed 10.5%.

A bad drought in England has impacted barley crops during the past few weeks. The anticipated larger spring barley crop of 4.5 mln tonnes will probably not be realized, and the selection of malting barley is an open question. Estimates of malting barley exports have dropped from more than half a mln to about a quarter mln tonnes.