EU:EU malting barley market situation

This year's supply of spring malting barley in the EU is 8.5 to 9.0 million tones, winter malting barley around 2 million tones vs. a total barley demand of 10 million tones.

The quality only of these 10.5 to 11 million tones is within or close the traditional parameters: 10.0 to 11.5 % protein, 90 % full barley, sound barley of natural colour.However, France, Germany, the Czech and Slovak Republics harvested barley crops, which were inferior to last year's and even average crops in quantity and quality.

High protein in France, especially in the eastern parts, poor grain size in Southwest Germany, weather damage (fusarium, even splits and sprouted kernels) in Eastern Bavaria, Bohemia and Eastern Slovakia.

An apparently tight balance of supply and demand led to firm markets during the harvest period, but markets have come down during the past month, however, without even approaching last year's lows