EU & UK: Malting barley prices feeling pressure in the EU

With barley harvest complete in France and wheat futures under EUR200/tonne, malting barley prices are feeling pressure, RMI Analytics reported this week.

Delays in Germany are supporting spring barley prices for now, but the forecast is to clear over the next week.

Feed demand showing up in France can be attributed to Black Sea delays and is generally viewed as a shifting of contracts to French origins and not incremental demand. Unshipped Black Sea volumes must still come to market at some stage which is bearish. Current price movement is narrowing malting barley premiums.

Scandic and UK spring barley harvest is advancing amidst on-going rain disruption and prices are a bit softer. In the south of England harvest is over 50% complete but progress is lower in the north, with Scotland not started due to recent storm impacts. Denmark and Sweden harvest is also advancing with reasonable quality results reported; proteins are on the lower side of normal but viewed as manageable.