EU: Winter barley output seen falling this year

The European Union winter barley harvest is expected to be lower than last year mainly because of a fall in Spanish output due to frost and drought, while rain in Germany stopped field work and has threatened final quality, Times of India reported on July 6.

But production was expected to exceed 2016 levels in France, the biggest producer in the 28-member bloc, they said, as harvesting across the EU was in full swing.

Consultancy Strategie Grains last month estimated the overall EU crop would be about 58 million tonnes, down 1.6 million from its May estimate and less than the 60 million tonnes harvested in 2016.

In France, winter barley harvesting had reached 60 percent to 65 percent as farmers benefitted from drier weather last week, brokers said.

French output should rise to 9.5 million tonnes, up from 8.2 million in 2016 and more than the 9.3 million tonnes forecast by the farm ministry last month, they said.

The spring barley harvest had not begun yet.

The quality of French winter barley was correct, although malting barley might exceed protein limits, but spring barley harvests might have suffered from a recent hot spell, a crop expert said.

"We were pleasantly surprised by the winter barley that has weathered rather well but we are paying special attention to spring barley and to protein levels," said Franck Viacek from Arvalis technical institute.

Malting barley with protein levels above 11.5 percent is downgraded to feed barley.

Frost and drought severely damaged winter grain crops in Spain, which is usually the third or fourth largest barley producer in the EU.

The barley harvest is estimated at 4.9 million tonnes this season, down 47 percent from 9.29 million last year, preliminary figures published by agriculture association Asaja showed.

In contrast, rain was the main problem in the EU's second-largest barley producer Germany, where winter barley harvesting that had started in past days in the southwest region of Baden-Wuerttemberg was stopped following repeated showers.

"Sunshine is urgently needed to dry the barley for harvesting but showers are forecast up to Sunday so the outlook for crop quality is still uncertain," one German analyst said.

Germany's winter barley crop, used for animal feed, is expected to fall 0.4 percent on the year to 8.92 million tonnes, the country's farming association said on Monday.

The German spring barley crop, largely used for malt and beer production, was expected to rise 4.3 percent on the year to 1.84 million tonnes after an increase in the sown area, it said.

In Poland, harvesting started but was also interrupted by rain, said Wojtek Sabaranski of analysts Sparks Polska.

Poland's winter barley crop is expected to rise 35 percent from last year's especially poor crop to 850,000 tonnes and spring barley crop will fall 3 percent to 2.65 million tonnes, Sabaranski estimates.

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