In its monthly report of June 30 the International Grain Council reports “that the world malt trade of 2002/03 had been 4.3 million tonnes. That is an increase of 37 % in seven years, from the crop year of 1995/96. As China continues to process barley itself and Russia is constructing a number of new malting factories, the malt trade is expected to stagnate over the next few years, until 2008/09. Sales losses to Russia will be compensated by a better demand in Latin America and some Asian countries. Trade of malting barley, on the other hand, will grow by 5 % annually, to almost 6.3 million tonnes in that same year of 2008/09”.

16 July, 2004