EU: Due to substantial replacement of lost winter wheat acres by spring barley, the crop of spring barley turned out larger than last year's and of good quality as well. It was mainly wheat, but also maize and winter barley, which provided for the total minus of 25 Million tonnes. In their November estimate "Stratégie Grains" puts the export surplus of malting barley at 2.2 Million tonnes. “Because of the great demand for feed it looks, however, as we may have trouble in the end to supply the malting barley needs of our own industries and our direct European neighbors,” EU analysts said.

26 November, 2003