EU: Malting barley prices bounce back higher over the last days

From a French market perspective, crop’24 is now mostly a theoretical exercise with only small lots (1-2 thousand tonnes) trading, RMI Analytics said in their early April report.

Some late season germination issues are pushing more barley into feed barley channels, it is reported.

Early this week crop’25 prices softened but bounced back higher over the last days, presumably related to the dryness in northern France. Paris wheat futures remain in a bearish trend and the demand picture remains bleak, leaving new market activity rather low and price action very limited.

Recent light rains keep the early crop development for Denmark and Sweden barley on a positive track. A small level of crop’24 activity is reported but the real focus is crop’25.

In the UK, maltsters have some interest in bits of crop’24, as it calculates versus new crop values. Buying interest from brewers is also reported. In the end, prices are steady to up slightly for crop’25, with crop’24 fading out of the picture.