France is the dominant source of malting barley in the EU, with crops of around 4 million tonnes of 2row Spring malting barley and more than 3 million tonnes of 6row Esterel barley. The French surplus is too large for domestic EU and any export needs. Prices have declined to the lowest known levels: FOB Creil, basis July, 2rS Scarlett EUR 112 6rW Esterel EUR 100 (intervention price, basis October, 101.31). Much of this barley will end up in the feed sector, both for domestic and export markets, and in intervention. Therefore the real export surplus will be smaller than the above mentioned 2 million tonnes.

10 October, 2004