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Flaxseed: crop forecasts may be too optimistic

May 14, 2020 at 11:44 AM , Der AUDITOR
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NUR-SULTAN/FRANKFURT. Regardless of the possible effects of the weather on the development of this year's crop, the experts at APK-Inform are reckoning that...

... 1.3-1.4 million ha could be sown in Kazakhstan, which would mean a production volume of over 1 million metric tonnes with an average yield. Farmers always take some shrinkage into account, which is why the area harvested often differs from the area originally sown. The actual yield can therefore only be defined after the harvest. In 2019, for example, a good 1.2 million ha had been sown, but according to reports only about 1 million ha were harvested. Thanks to the above-average yield, there was still enough for a new record crop.

Farmgate goods more expensive again

Last week, commodity prices for Kazakh flaxseed had declined slightly. However, this decline in prices was only short-lived and in the meantime offers from Kazakhstan and Russia are again at EUR 0.41-0.42 per kg FCA and EUR 0.43-0.44 per kg FCA respectively. Cleaned flaxseed is still offered from EUR 0.59 per kg DDP Germany in the European spot market. There are no offers yet for farmgate goods from the new crop, but market players expect prices below EUR 0.30 per kg EXW Kazakhstan if the crop turns out good.

Flaxseed

Quality

EUR/kg

Brown, 99.9%, Eastern Europe, DDP DE

0.590-0.610

Brown, 97%, Kazakhstan, FCA KZ

0.410-0.420

Brown, 97%, Russia, FCA RU

0.430-0.440

Reference prices

35% less flaxseed from Kazakhstan

In the first six months of the 2019/2020 season, flaxseed imports to Germany declined by 14%. However, despite the record crops in Kazakhstan, shipments during this period fell by 35% to 23,077 metric tonnes. At the same time, shipments from Russia, France and Poland moved further into focus.

Flaxseed imports* to Germany, in mt

Country

2018/19

2019/20

Diff.

Russia

23,884

27,863

16.7%

Kazakhstan

35,696

23,077

-35.4%

France

6,195

9,328

50.6%

Poland

5,378

6,103

13.5%

Belgium

14,615

5,815

-60.2%

Netherlands

2,261

2,681

18.6%

Canada

2,273

2,263

-0.4%

Austria

1,053

1,365

29.6%

India

1,569

1,277

-18.6%

Czech Republic

677

994

46.8%

Others

3,541

3,058

-13.6%

Total

97,142

83,824

-13.7%

Federal Statistical Office / Sep-Feb

*12040090 Linseed (excl. for sowing)

Attached Files

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price chart flaxseed, brown, Eastern Europe

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