UK: Final 2011/12 barley supply and demand estimates announced by HMR&C

HMR&C reported last week full season (2011/12) UK barley imports at 156 thousand tonnes and exports at 804 thousand tonnes. These figures are 21 thousand tonnes and 54 thousand tonnes lower than May’s estimates respectively as the trade progress continued at a faster than anticipated pace in the last three months of the 2011/12 season.

Total barley availability in 2011/12 is set at 6.520 mln tonnes, 21 thousand tonnes higher than May’s forecast due to higher imports but 7% below 2010/11.
Total usage is set at 4.776 mln tonnes, only 157 thousand tonnes lower than May’s estimate and 10% below 2010/11. The year-on-year decline is due to less barley usage for animal feed which is not offset by increases in Human and Industrial consumption.

Stocks at the end of June 2012 are set at 940 thousand tonnes, 124 thousand tonnes above May’s estimate and 70 thousand tonnes above 2010/11. The Defra stocks survey showed higher stock was held at the end of June 2012 than June 2011, particularly by UK merchants, ports and co-ops.

26 September, 2012