EU + UK: Crop output estimate slightly down due to recent heat and dry conditions

French barley harvest is now complete with good winter barley results and a variable spring barley outcome, RMI Analytics said in their August report.

With the recent heat and dry conditions causing some crop stress, RMI Analytics’ EU27+UK crop output drops slightly to 57.6 mln tonnes (from 58 mln).

Rain (heavy in some cases) is falling across both Russia and Ukraine, alleviating heat stress in some dry regions. In those regions where barley (and wheat) is mature, these late rains raise the risk toward negative quality impacts.

Barley prices are mostly unchanged in France while the UK and Denmark have fallen as spring barley harvest commences. The restarting of Ukrainian grain shipments could weigh on feed barley price levels, spring barley harvest advancing across Europe will determine where malting barley premiums settle.