USA: Prices basically unchanged for both feed and malt barley during the last two weeks

Barley prices remained steady during the last two weeks, with little cash price movement noted in either feed or malting barley. However, with the barley harvest now starting in California, there might be some downward pressure on feed barley, according to Larry Raap, grain merchandiser for Sun Prairie Grain in Minot, North Dakota, Farm and Ranch Guide posted July 06.

“As far as the feed barley users out in California, with their harvest going on, they really aren't in need of any outside feed barley,” Raap said. “And then the feed barley prices will depend on what the corn prices do from here on out as well.

“On the malting side of things, there is still a pretty good supply in the pipeline, which should minimize the impact of a weather market,” he continued. “We still have a fair amount of old crop malting barley to get in. The maltsters are still kind of jammed up. We won't get rid of all of the old crop malting barley before the new crop starts to show up.

“There is plenty of supply out there and I don't think they will get too wound up about even a mild weather scare because they have enough. It's a buyer's market right now.”

The barley crop looks pretty good in the Minot area at this time, but continued warm dry weather could begin to stress the crop.

“Around here the crop looks pretty good,” he said. “But if it stays hot like yesterday when the temperatures were in the 90s, it going to start taking its toll. The moisture isn't critical right now, but we could use an inch of rain - a rain wouldn't hurt a thing.”

The region's barley crop continued to develop at an above average pace, but lack of rainfall heightened crop stress. In North Dakota, the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) field office in Fargo reported one percent of the barley was in very poor condition, 10 percent poor, 21 percent fair, 55 percent good and 13 percent excellent.

The service reported that 94 percent of the crop was at least in the jointing stage, compared with the five-year average of 70 percent. And 40 percent of the crop was headed versus 14 percent on average.

The Minnesota barley crop was rated two percent very poor, nine percent poor, 32 percent fair, 44 percent good and 13 percent excellent. Eighty-two percent of the crop was in the jointing stage or beyond, compared to the five-year average of 67 percent and 62 percent was headed out, well above the 24 percent averge.

The monthly price report, released on June 29 by the North Dakota Field Office of the USDA's NASS, indicated feed barley prices paid to farmers in the state declined by two cents to $1.60 a bushel, while malting barley prices climbed by 15 cents a bushel to $2.55.

Checking local elevator board prices showed feed barley prices to be steady or up from three cents to a dime a bushel. Prices were in a narrow range of $1.44 to $1.60 a bushel. Malting barley prices were unchanged at all locations surveyed, with prices ranging from $2.10 to $2.45 a bushel.

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