Algeria: World barley exports to Algeria plummet in the first 5 months of MY 2022/23

World barley exports to Algeria plummeted during the first 5 months of MY 2022/23 (July – November) with exports reaching just 1,600 tonnes, compared to 342,000 tonnes during the same period last year, USDA said in its latest report.

Algeria barley imports are strongly correlated with domestic production and tend to decrease during years of strong production. Algeria barley production for 2022/23 rebounded significantly to 1.6 million tons, a 68-percent increase over the previous year’s drought-ravaged crop, reducing the need for imports. The nation’s 2022/23 barley imports from all sources are forecast at 400,000 tons, a nearly 50-percent decline from last year. All major suppliers of barley to Algeria (the EU, Argentina, and Ukraine) have not shipped anything in 2022/23 due to lower production and reduced exportable supplies.

Grain acquisition in Algeria is dominated by the Algerian Office of Cereals (OAIC). While not explicitly banning imports by private entities, the domestic price support structure disincentivizes import activity by the private sector. Global feed barley export prices were also high coming into Algeria’s 2022/23 MY, likely discouraging imports. Export prices for major exporters (Argentina, Australia, the Black Sea region, and EU) are now on a downward trend, currently averaging roughly $297/ton, down $95/ton, from the beginning of the marketing year. These lower prices may encourage stronger imports during second half of MY 2022/23.

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