World: Barley prices stabilize to some extent
A small increase in European barley prices is having very little impact in USD terms, as the EUR continues to weaken to the dollar - helping the competitiveness of European barley (and malt) in world markets. There is a minor degree of harvest pressure on prices (Australia in harvest and Argentina still to come) but the related price moves are rather minor at this stage. Underlying malting barley markets (and reducing premiums) is the quite strong feed barley market, RMI Analytics said in their November report.
Global barley prices have stabilized to some extent, potentially signalling an end to the prolonged decline. However, there's still a significant amount of southern hemisphere barley to enter the market, which could lead to further price drops. Additionally, the third-quarter financial reports from major brewers did not improve demand expectations, as the decline in volume has actually intensified.