France: Rouen grain exports jump to a seven-week high

Grain exports from the French port of Rouen, Europe’s biggest cereal-shipping hub, jumped 76 percent in the week through February, 2, to a seven-week high as Algeria took the most wheat since November, Bloomberg reported earlier this week.

Outbound grain was 171,966 metric tons between Jan. 26 and Feb. 1 from 97,645 tons a week earlier, the Seine River port said in an e-mailed report. Exports included 143,458 tons of soft wheat, 8,380 tons of durum and 20,128 tons of barley (of which 10,349 tons shipped to Cyprus, 6,600 to Morocco, and 3,179 to Russia).

Algeria was the biggest export destination, taking 76,500 tons of soft wheat, the most since the week ended Nov. 9, followed by Morocco with 27,500 tons of soft wheat, 6,600 tons of durum wheat and 6,600 tons of barley.

Rouen accounted for 45 percent of France’s maritime grain exports in 2009-10, ahead of La Pallice on the Bay of Biscay, which shipped out 19 percent, according to figures from national crops office FranceAgriMer.

04 February, 2012