EU: Second pandemic wave causes reduced call-offs of malt and shutdowns of production facilities

The second corona wave throughout Europe (and the world) has reduced beer sales prospects, led to much reduced call-offs of malt in domestic markets and isolated slowdowns of malt production, H. M. Gauger GmbH reported earlier in November.

As EU malt export shipments continue at a very good pace, the crisis hits inland maltsters more than the larger units along the seacoast and waterways. New business has come to a full stop. Malting margins have dropped to EUR 80-90 per tonne.

In times of a world pandemic market trends are difficult to forecast, but the lack of malting barley offers vs. domestic brewery shorts and the Chinese demand point to firmer malting barley and malt prices. Also full capacity use of maltings in the central brewing and export positions looks possible again, the analysts said.