World: USDA projects 2006/07 figures on barley

Global barley trade is forecasted by the Foreign Agricultural Service of the United States Department of Agriculture in its 15 May released �Grain: World Markets and Trade� Circular to drop in 2006/07 nearly a million tons as a result of reduced demand in North African markets.

Barley and forage crops in Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria are estimated to be very large, and imports are consequently forecast to fall by nearly two-thirds. Among exporters, Canada is expected to reduce shipments as production is forecast to be the smallest in 4 years. Meanwhile, supplies in Australia and EU-25 are estimated to be large and exports steady. For the Black Sea region, although barley crops are expected to be up slightly in Russia and Ukraine, higher feeding in the face of smaller wheat crops will likely constrain any growth in exports.

The report highlights a projection of the world barley production and consumption worth respectively 143,443 and 144,075 thousand metric tons. It consecutively forecasts the regional barley imports for EU to 350 thousand metric tons, 400 thousand metric tons for North America, 535 thousand metric tons for Latin America and 3800 thousand metric tons for East Asia. Production is designed to attain respectively 56,305, 16,863, 1,895 and 3,925 thousand metric tons.