Russia: USDA raises Russia's 2006-07 barley exports to 2.2 million t

Russia's feed barley exports are expected to amount to 2.2 million tonnes in the 2006-07 marketing year (October-September), compared with 1.6 million in 2005-06, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in its July grain trade report. The USDA raised the forecast from a previous estimate of 2 million tonnes, World Grain released July 18.

The upward revision was made due to expectations that Russia's barley harvest will be larger than originally expected. The USDA now expects Russia's barley output at 18 million tonnes, or 500,000 tonnes more than earlier. The harvest will also exceed the 2005 output of 15.8 million tonnes.

Despite brighter prospects for the upcoming season's harvest, export volumes will still be considerably less than in the previous years. Russia's biggest barley exports were registered in 2002-03, when the country exported over 3 million tonnes of barley.
The USDA also raised the forecast for Ukraine's barley exports in 2006-07 by 300,000 tonnes to 4.3 million tonnes. The revision follows an increase the country's harvest forecast to 10.7 million tonnes from a previous estimate of 9.4 million tonnes.

Russia and Ukraine compete as large feed barley exporters, shipping the grain mainly to the Middle East and the Mediterranean markets.

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