Canada & USA: General weather situation benign for barley planting and crop in both countries

Early estimates for crop 2020 are: Canadian acreage 2.95 mln ha, production 10.15 mln tonnes. U.S. production as per USDA 3.96 mln tonnes, H. M. Gauger GmbH reported earlier this month.

In spite of occasional frost/snow/dryness problems, the general weather situation was benign for barley planting and crop development to-date in both countries. Particularly in southern Alberta heavy rains ended a year-long drought.

Export estimates for 2020/21 are 1.9 – 2.0 mln tonnes for Canada and 120 thousand tonnes for the USA. Registered Canadian exports in Aug/March 2019/20 were 1.037 mln tonnes to China, 340 thousand tonnes to Japan and 33 thousand tonnes to the U.S.

China has authorized imports of U.S. barley. However, neither crop size, price levels nor logistics should enable the U.S. to use this outlet to a larger extent, the Gauger analysts said. Canada has sold to China between 1.5 and 2.0 mln tonnes of barley per year, Chinese maltsters appreciate the quality. Following the closure of the Chinese market for Australian barley, Canadian exporters hope to increase their volume by at least half a million tonnes in 2020/21.

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