Germany: It was reported at the beginning of April that barley planting was finished in the West and North, but not yet in the South and Southeast where most of the works should be done by April10. Acreage may decline by upto 10 %, farmers were very unhappy with malting barley prices in 2004. Barke in the North and Scarlett in the South remain important varieties, but Auriga, Braemer and Ursa are gaining market share.

Austria: Seeding is all done, seedbeds look good, acreage about unchanged.

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