France’s crop of malting barley is unbelievably large and good, analysts revealed on August 31. Protein, moisture, plumpness, a sound and dry barley, all is there. According to latest official crop estimates of 10.84 million tonnes and an ONIC study of the repartition of acreage, France harvested 29.3 % Esterel = 3.177 million tonnes, 7.5 % Vanessa = 813,000 tonnes, 35 % two-row barley malting spring varieties 3.795 million tonnes. Resulting price levels, FOB Creil, July Scarlett EUR 114, Esterel EUR 101, are so low, that much malting barley will be forced into the feed sector or intervention, analysts said.

06 September, 2004