France: June barley shipments dominated by China, soft wheat shipments fall to lowest in over a decade for the month
French soft wheat shipments outside the European Union fell to their lowest in over a decade for July, Refinitiv data showed, as a rain-hampered harvest contributed to a slow start to the 2021/22 export season, Reuters reported on August 4.
Soft wheat exports to destinations outside the 27-country bloc totalled 349,200 tonnes in July, the first month of the 2021/22 season, an initial estimate based on Refinitiv loading data showed.
The volume was about 74,000 tonnes lower than non-EU soft wheat exports in July last season, and the lowest July volume recorded by Refinitiv data which started in the 2009/10 season.
Britain was the largest non-EU outlet for French soft wheat last month, with an initial estimate of 122,600 tonnes, followed by Algeria with 61,900 tonnes.
Total barley exports outside the EU reached 333,200 tonnes last month.
That was dominated by 298,900 tonnes of feed barley shipped to China. Another 2,800 tonnes of feed barley was sent to Britain and 31,500 tonnes of malt barley shipped to Mexico.
July is typically a quiet period for French wheat exports as traders wait for the new crop, but the lull was more pronounced last month as heavy rains slowed harvesting and raised uncertainty over the milling quality of the crop.
Soft wheat exports should accelerate in August, with 118,000 tonnes already loaded and an additional 308,400 tonnes either waiting to load or scheduled to ship.
French soft wheat exports outside the EU over the full July-June 2021/22 season are expected to be 3 million tonnes higher than last season at 10.5 million tonnes, according to farming agency FranceAgriMer.
For sea exports within the EU, soft wheat shipments last month were 74,400 tonnes, while all-grain shipments totalled 171,600 tonnes.
Most French grain exported inside the EU is transported via non-maritime routes.
Total grain shipments to all destinations from French ports in July - including barley, malting barley, maize, waxy maize, malt and durum wheat - were also at their lowest in over a decade at 886,500 tonnes.
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