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Barley: Low prices seem to be holding back export activities

August 28, 2017 at 4:29 PM , Starry Night Ltd.
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Whether withholding the crop from foreign markets will change the short-term trend of low prices is doubtful.

SOFIA. Early in the marketing season, local market players swiftly started fulfilling their contracts to foreign buyers. As a result, export activity to EU member countries skyrocketed, reaching 173,596 mt by the 18th of August 2017, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. However, when push comes to shove since competitive prices are no longer sensibly competitive, local market sellers prefer to wait.

Barley: when competitive prices become too low to be sensibly competitive

While harvest 2017-18 was still underway in some regions, ships were lined-up for uploading. The high quality crop this season and competitive export prices substantially increased marine shipments, as by the 20th of the month, via Varna sea port, 77,884 mt of barley were shipped out; by that time last year, only 5,855 mt left the country via the same trade route, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Harvest 2017-18

(01.07.2017 - 18.08.2017)

Carry over

22,000  mt

Domestic output

619,812 mt

Domestic consumption

42,000 mt

Exports to the world

173,974 mt

Source: Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture

If local market sellers thought last year’s regional competition was tough, they better think again. During the third week of August, no barley exports were registered and while more ships for wheat are lined-up for uploading at Varna sea port, barley’s exports seem to be weakening. That comes as no surprise since foreign markets are attuned to competitive prices. So far in the season, exports to countries outside the EU stood at the miniscule amount of 378 mt. The short-term concern over low prices about a week/two ago is growing into a medium-term worry.

Barley, Bulgaria

Type

EUR/kg

feed barley

0.129

EXW Bulgaria

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