Canada: Harvest is 90-95 % done, market analysts revealed. Damage of September has been worse than thought a few weeks ago, sprouting, fusarium etc. A private estimate is that the CWB malting barley pool will select about 1.4 million tonnes of two-row and no more than 100,000 tonnes of six-row barley. Local needs 0.9-1.0 million tonnes will leave 0.5 million tonnes for export, of which 0.2 million tonnes are sold. In view of obvious germination problems even that figure may be on the high side. Feed barley in (non-Board) domestic market is worth equivalent of US$ 115- FOB Vancouver. Freight to Saudi-Arabia above US$ 60,-, resulting CIF price US$ 175,- or more unsaleable. Total barley crop as per StatsCan 13.04 million tonnes (est. of October 6), may become less in final estimate.

09 November, 2004