EU & UK: Barley prices remain relatively stable despite new Covid variant shock
Outside markets (e.g. wheat and corn) are again impacting barley prices as Euronext wheat futures demonstrated. A new Covid variant shocked the market in the past few days but barley prices remain relatively stable.
According to the RMI Analytics experts, the barley fundamentals provide underlying support to prices and on top are the outside influences from other crops.
In France, despite a correction in wheat futures, malting barley prices are still moving to the upside.
In the UK and Scandinavian countries, prices are staying close in step with French values. In the UK, lack of farmer selling is a challenge and traders anticipate a fast start in January 2022 as activity is expected to pick up and maltsters have open demand to fulfil. Winter crops in Scandinavia will put pressure on spring barley to retain area, the analysts said.