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Barley: competitive prices = low profit margins

August 18, 2017 at 10:58 AM , Starry Night Ltd.
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The higher quality crop this year, on the background of a lower aggregate output, fails to support higher prices.

SOFIA. Competitive prices drive exports high, but low prices drive barley out of favor among local farmers. Areas of Autumn barley throughout the country have been long harvested. The aggregate output this season stands at 630,015 mt while that of last year was estimated at 697,787 mt. The difference could be traced back to less planted land during 2016. Yet, because of a higher yield (4.75 mt/ha) this year, higher than that of last year by 7.5%, aggregate output 2017-18 broke the 600,000 mt ceiling.

Barley: price expectations

Although farmers realized lower output this season, the crop is of much higher quality than that of the previous season. However, the higher quality crop, on the background of a lower national output, failed to support higher prices, and farmers are compelled to sell low. Short-term prices are projected to reflect the current market pulse, even more so since the harvest of barley in Ukraine is drawing to an end.

The harvest of Spring barley is under way

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, by the 10th of August 2017, farmers harvested 3,035 ha of the 4,600 ha of planted Spring barley. So far during harvest, the average yield has been estimated at 3.9 mt/ha while output stood at 11,765 mt.

Barley, Bulgaria

Type

EUR/kg

feed barley

0.130

EXW Bulgaria

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