EU: Malting barley exports in December total 22,000 tonnes, no feed barley shipments are reported

French soft wheat shipments outside the European Union last month were lower than in November as shipments to Algeria fell and no feed barley exports beyond the EU were recorded during the month, Refinitiv data showed.

Soft wheat exports to destinations outside the 27-country bloc totalled 808,000 tonnes in December, the sixth month of the 2021/22 season, an initial estimate based on Refinitiv loading data showed.

China was the largest non-EU destination for French soft wheat, with an initial estimate of 508,000 tonnes, followed by Morocco with 213,000 tonnes.

That is still below the 514,800 tonnes of soft wheat loaded for China in October, which was the highest monthly volume so far to the Asian country in 2021/22.

Around 33,000 tonnes of soft wheat were shipped to Algeria in December after the country led total exports in November, and no shipments are due to the country in January, Refinitiv data showed. FRWHEAT/PORTS

Farm office FranceAgriMer last week lowered its forecast of French soft wheat exports outside the EU this season, to 9.0 million tonnes from 9.2 million in December, partly because of stalled sales to Algeria, which traders attribute to a diplomatic row.

No feed barley loaded for non-EU destinations in December, reflecting the absence of loadings for China, which has dominated French exports of the grain this season.

French malting barley exports outside the EU reached 22,000 tonnes. Turkey was the top malting barley destination with 10,500 tonnes, with Brazil at 5,500 tonnes in second.

Grain shipments to all destinations from French ports last month - including barley, malting barley, maize, waxy maize, malt and durum wheat - totalled 1.14 million tonnes.

The loading data is subject to revision and can differ from monthly customs figures depending on when ships are counted as leaving France.

21 January, 2022