Italy: Barley imports surge 57% in H1

Italy’s first-half grain imports rose 8.7 percent on demand for soft and durum wheat and barley, the national cereal-industry association was quoted as saying by Bloomberg on September, 13.

Inbound shipments climbed to 5.88 million metric tons from 5.41 million tons a year earlier, the Rome-based Associazione Nazionale Cerealisti, known as Anacer, said.

Italy is the European Union’s largest importer of grain from outside the bloc, partly because of its requirements for durum wheat to make pasta. The country accounts for more than 80 percent of EU durum imports.

Barley imports surged 57 percent to 415,484 tons, Anacer said.

Grain imports in the first six months of 2010 had a worth of 1.22 billion euros ($1.56 billion) and exports amounted to 1.25 billion euros. Italy’s cereal-industry trade surplus was 36.2 million euros over the period, down from 56.8 million euros a year earlier, Anacer said.

15 September, 2010