EU: Barley business slow all season long - analysts

Barley production in 2016/17 is forecast at 58.7 mln tonnes (last year 60.5), domestic consumption (incl. barley for malt export) at 54.1 mln (51.7), exports over the period July 1 – February 21 was 2.96 (7.2) mln tonnes, H. M. Gauger GmbH reported earlier in March.

The EU Commission expects a carry-over of 8.6 (5.5) mln tonnes.

Business has been slow all season long, farmers sat on their barley, malting barley demand was never active enough to stimulate market.

Dutch/German feed barley demand is lively, stocks in the two countries are fairly low, also due to the small crops in France, Benelux and Germany.

According to the analysts, domestic market prices of malting and feed barley moved within a small frame, the premium of spring malting barley remained high all the time since harvest.

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