EU: Experts believe barley exports to third countries will rank between 100,000 and 200,000 t

The European Union will export 1 – 200,000 t of malting barley to third countries, experts asserted October 02.

For comparison these were the latest available production figures in 2005/06: Germany 1.846 million t, France 1.325 million t, UK 1.355 million t, Czech Republic 0.515 million t.

No immediate relief can be expected from next years barley crop. September weather was ideal for planting in the EU, farmers seeded more winter wheat and rapeseed, leaving less space for spring grains. We also expect that the acreage of winter barley, mostly of feed varieties, will increase further in France and Germany. As the climate change is an accepted fact by now, farmers feel safer planting winter crops. The greatest competitor of spring barley is the bio-industry, rapeseed for bio-diesel, maize and other grains for bio-gas and bio-ethanol. Forecasts are that this industry will absorb the whole grain and oilseed surplus of the EU within the next few years. Profits for farmers and industries of this new sector are far better than in the traditional food and feed business. Hopefully present high market prices and possibly pre-contracts for malting barley for next year can convince farmers to still plant sufficient malting barley. But the necessary higher farm prices and the large open malt demand for the last quarter of 2007 will spoil any hopes of drastic price reductions.

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