EU & UK: Winter barley supplies too negligible to reduce demand for spring significantly
Negligible supplies of winter barley in the UK, Germany, and Poland reduce the EUs spring barley demand only by 300-400 thousand tonnes, H. M. Gauger GmbH reported earlier in October.
France harvested approximately 8.4 mln tonnes of six-row winter barley, and can select 2.4 2.6 mln tonnes of malting barley.
Demand in France and the EU in general is always flexible, but very strong this year. The premium of the 6row-winter varieties above feed barley is attractive for the farmer, the discount below 2RS barley attractive for the brewer/maltster.
At present the HM Gauger GmbH analysts calculate an EU consumption of 1.8 mln tonnes, and a surplus (on paper) of 600 - 800 thousand tonnes.