Australia: Barley crop estimates increase substantially since ABARES December report

Recent local barley crop estimates have increased substantially since the ABARES forecast of December, e.g. GIWA from 3.6 to 4.3/4.5 mln tonnes in Western Australia, H. M. Gauger GmbH said in their February report.

If true, and if domestic consumption will absorb 6.0 mln tonnes, Australia would have an export surplus of 7.0 mln tonnes of barley (including malt).

The exclusion from the Chinese market takes away Australia’s traditional No.1 buyer. As Canada has become the new (temporary?) No. 1, Australia will automatically sell more barley in all other Asian Pacific markets.

South-East Asian feed buyers, e.g. Thailand and Indonesia, have increased barley usage. The largest part of 660,000 tonnes feed barley, purchased recently by Saudi Arabia, will come from Australia. The whole Arab Peninsula will be a prime market for Australia. And the country has set foot into the Mexican malting barley market.

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