EU & UK: Spring barley planting struggles continue in the region

The struggles continue in getting spring barley planted in western Europe, including the UK, as rainy weather continues to dominate, RMI Analytics reported earlier in April.

French planting of spring barley is about 90% (normally 100%), and the UK trails normal progress from the south of England, all the way to Scotland. There is a strong possibility the final planted barley area may fall short of original expectations. Further, the impact of these wet conditions is showing in the French crop development, where winter barley is rated 67% Good to Excellent as compared to a 92% rating last year.

RMI Analytics’ barley crop expectations for the region are unchanged as seeing eventually gets closed out. There is no doubt yield and quality risk is elevated in the case where planting is seriously delayed; however, there is some reluctance to reduce yields at this stage as there is still plenty of time.

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