Argentina: Timely rains help maintain barley production forecast stable
Timely rains fell in Argentina at the end of August and were most welcome amid increasing concern over low subsoil moisture levels. This leaves the forecast for the nations barley crop at 4.9 mln tonnes, RMI Analytics reported earlier in September.
Farmer selling has been very slow, partially due to dryness concerns and with rain received, there may be increased willingness to sell. At present, 1.5 mln tonnes of the crop has already been sold which is ahead of normal for this stage of crop development.
Barley prices have moved slightly higher for malting while feed barley is flat, which is following the global trend. Malting barley is still lagging behind French pricing. The spread between malting and feed barley is widening.