EU: Winter barley yields affected by low acreage and bad weather conditions

Fears of lower winter barley yields and lower quality are mentioned particularly by Denmark and Sweden. The Swedes with their lower acreage may not have a real export surplus of malting barley, and in Denmark total availabilities of malting barley from crop 2006 are estimated to be little above one Million tons, experts estimated July 03.

Prospects in Poland are good. In the Czech Republic there is an unofficial estimate of a 12 % increase of the spring barley acreage, but a crop, which is only slightly larger than last year.

Storms and heavy rains during the beginning of July are said to have caused damages in Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary.