Argentina: Barley crop development proceeding under nearly ideal conditions

The combination of ongoing good moisture levels and cooler than normal temperatures is allowing Argentina’s barley crop development to proceed under nearly ideal conditions, RMI Analytics said in their late August report.

The early wet conditions are creating some disease that must be managed. Still, very good crop prospects are raising RMI’s crop forecast for Argentina’s barley by 0.1 mln tonnes to 4.9 mln tonnes with potential for 5 mln tonnes or more.

Farmer selling for crop’25 is almost entirely malting barley, with little willingness to sell feed quality at this stage, due to the very positive crop development.

In alignment with the global trend, new crop prices are falling but old crop values remain well supported. There is buying interest for small lots of old crop feed barley (vessel top offs) and new crop cargoes to Saudi, but the lack of liquidity leaves a wide bid/offer spread at the moment (buyers’ interest 10-12 USD lower).