Black Sea Region: Barley production expected to decline this year

Russia became the No. 2 wheat exporter of the world and is forecast to be No. 1 in the new campaign, H. M. Gauger GmbH said in their August report.

Ukraine was the No. 2 barley exporter behind Australia. Barley export forecasts for 2017/18 are more modest, however, shipments in July 1-25 already were 427,000 tonnes from Russia and 589,000 tonnes from Ukraine, with further 800,000 tonnes loading in Ukrainian ports in the near future.

Growing conditions had been variable, but altogether favoured the Russian grain crops vs. the warmer and drier climate in Ukraine, local sources said.

UkrAgroConsult expects Russia�s barley output this year to amount to 17.1 mln tonnes vs. 18 mln in 2016, exports are forecast at 4.5 mln vs. 2.8 mln tonnes last year.

Ukraine�s barley production is seen at 7.2 mln tonnes vs. 9.45 mln last year, exports at 3.3 mln vs. 5.35 mln last year.

Kazakhstan is forecast to harvest 3.2 mln tonnes of barley and export 800 thousand tonnes versus 2.7 mln and 830 thousand tonnes last year.

In Romania, barley production is expected at 1.67 mln tonnes and export at 1.55 mln vs. 1.92 and 1.45 mln tonnes, respectively.

Bulgaria�s barley crop could total 560 thousand tonnes (710 thousand last year), exports 260 thousand vs. 400 thousand tonnes last year, UkrAgroConsult said.