Tag: barley

UK Grain Markets

The barley harvest is underway in England, although progress has been stop-start due to regular rain.  According to the Environment Agency, in the month to 18th July, England had received 111% of the long-term average rainfall for July.  As well as increased lodging in barley and OSR, the higher rainfall will be causing some concerns around grain quality.

With large ending stocks from the 2022/23 season anticipated, and the UK not currently export competitive, the price of feed barley has continued to fall.  So far in July (to 21st July) feed barley has averaged £146 per tonne, down £10 per tonne on the June average.  Initial assessments of malting crop quality have seen lower retentions (percentage of sample retained when passing over a 2.5mm sieve – minimum typically 85-90%) .  This has reportedly led some maltsters to lower intake standards for the current crop.

Feed wheat prices have increased latterly, due to the ending of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.  Ex-farm feed wheat (nearby) was quoted at £180 per tonne, on 21st July.  Milling wheat was worth £243 per tonne.

Oilseed rape values have also increased, with Paris rapeseed futures briefly exceeding €500 per tonne for the first time since March.  Ex-farm oilseed rape was quoted, on 21st July; at £385 per tonne, up from an average of £330 per tonne in June.  Price increases have been driven by the tightening of soyabean markets, and concerns over availability of Ukrainian oilseeds.

Pulse markets were also stronger in July.  Human consumption demand has remained somewhat limited, with difficulties in accessing North African markets.  However, some feed compounders have reportedly included pulses in rations, with global protein values increasing.  Feed beans and feed peas have average £259 per tonne in July.

UK Arable Outlook

As harvest draws nearer, UK wheat prices have increased, supported by concerns for US maize and prolonged dryness in Northern Europe (see preceding article).  In the week ending 23rd June 2023, ex-farm feed wheat was quoted at £175 per tonne; up almost £15 per tonne on the beginning of the month, but still just behind the May average of £176 per tonne.

AHDB Corn Returns data shows a positive carry into new crop prices, with feed wheat for September delivery averaging £196 per tonne in the week ending 22nd June.  Milling wheat continues to command a strong premium of nearly £66 per tonne, with the price quoted at £241 per tonne, ex-farm.

Barley prices have not gained to the same degree as wheat prices, up £8 per tonne on the beginning of June.  Ex-farm barley is quoted at £156 per tonne – demand for old crop feed barley has increased slightly but remains slow.  The UK is currently not competitive into export markets.  This could continue to pressure prices with a large carryout expected from harvest 2022, and barley now ripening and harvest not far away in the South and East.

Oilseed rape values had strengthened through June, reaching £346 per tonne in the middle of the month, before falling again.  Weaker than expected biofuel mandates in the US pressured soyabean oil prices, dragging the wider vegetable oils complex lower.  Subsequently, ex-farm oilseed rape was quoted at £326 per tonne on 23rd June.

Pulse prices picked up during the month with some renewed demand, but selling reportedly remained limited.  Both feed beans and feed peas were quoted at £241 per tonne, on 23rd June.

UK Grain Markets

UK cereal and oilseed pricing continues to face pressure from global market conditions.  Ex-farm feed wheat (nearby) was worth £179 per tonne in May.  This is down £9 per tonne on the April average price.  The price of feed wheat has now fallen more than £40 per tonne since January.  Milling wheat continues to hold a strong premium over feed wheat, extending to £70 per tonne on average in May.  Feed barley prices averaged £165 per tonne in May, with the discount to wheat narrowing.

AHDB published its latest UK supply and demand estimates for the 2022/23 season. The estimates highlight the increased ending stocks for both wheat and barley. Large cereal crops from harvest 2022, have been met with weak animal feed demand. The ongoing challenges for the pig and poultry sector resulted in a further cut to wheat demand of 130Kt.

The challenges for animal feed demand will carry into the new season. With large carry-in stocks and crops generally looking healthy, domestic prices will need to remain export competitive.

The value of Oilseed rape has fallen to the lowest point since October 2020, at £345 per tonne ex-farm in May.  Prices have continued to fall throughout the month, reaching £330 per tonne, delivered into Erith, on 24th May.  Oilseed rape prices are being undermined by large EU carry-in stocks for the new season, with the EU expected to harvest its largest OSR crop since 2014 (20 million tonnes).  Wider oilseed market fundamentals are also pressuring OSR prices, with the USDA forecasting a 40 million tonne increase in soyabean production in 2023/24.

Bean and Pea prices have bucked the trend of other combinable crop markets, with both commodities gaining £7 per tonne, month-on-month.  Feed beans were quoted at £228 per tonne and peas £234 per tonne.

Grain Market Update

In February’s Bulletin we highlighted that the fast pace of imports of Ukrainian crops into the EU was pressuring prices.  This came to a head in April with Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovakia announcing bans on the import of Ukrainian agricultural goods.  The EU has proposed measures to guarantee that crops moving into those nations are re-exported and do not remain in those five domestic markets.  In addition, the EU has proposed the provision of €100m to compensate farmers in those nations.  At present there is no agreement on whether this deal will be accepted.  The news of the bans initially supported prices, but they have subsequently fallen.

Further uncertainty for grain markets has been caused by the 60-day terms the Black Sea grain corridor now operates under.  Comments suggesting the G7 would ban exports to Russia, were reacted to by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev with suggestions of the Corridor agreement being scrapped in retaliation.  This has served to support grain prices in the short-term.  Overall, the situation in the Black Sea remains a dominant driver for grain and oilseed markets.

Looking ahead to the global supply and demand picture for next season (2023/24), the global grain stocks picture was eased slightly in the latest International Grains Council supply and demand figures, owing to greater maize production, particularly in the US.  That said the overall picture remains tighter year-on-year.  With weather concerns in part of the US, particularly for wheat, any adverse weather would support prices.

UK grain prices moved higher following the uncertainty around Black Sea grain movement.  UK feed wheat (ex-farm, nearby) was quoted at £190 per tonne in the week ending 21st April.  This is up around £8 per tonne on the month.  The milling premium also extended slightly, quoted at £61 per tonne.  Feed barley has struggled to find demand in 2023 but has been able to compete into export markets recently.  The feed barley price was quoted at £170 per tonne, on 21st April.

Oilseed rape prices have fallen since the start of the year.  However, concerns around dry weather in Argentina has continued to cut soyabean production forecasts supporting the wider oilseed complex.  Oilseed rape prices have risen by nearly £30 per tonne, month-on-month, to £380 per tonne.  That said, expectations remain for bigger global rapeseed crops in 2023/24.  Also, a bumper Brazilian soyabean harvest is expected which adds pressure vegetable oil markets.  Oilseed rape prices may be supported in the longer term with the EU Parliament backing a ban on imports linked to deforestation, including palm oil and soya. Companies selling into the EU will now have to provide verifiable information that goods were not grown on land which has been deforested after 2020.

Pulse prices have been stable month-on-month, with pea and bean prices unchanged at £226 and £220 per tonne, respectively.

The last month has been a busy one for the majority of arable farmers, the wet conditions of March have led to a backlog of planting and spraying.  While April conditions have not been ideal they have at least allowed field work to continue.

UK Grain Market

Cereal prices in the UK have followed the direction of EU and US markets over the past month.  Ex-farm UK feed wheat was quoted at £182 per tonne, on 22nd March 2023; this is a fall of £36 per tonne from the beginning of March.  All cereal prices will have recovered some of this lost ground to the end of the week, but remain pressured.  The potential for further downside movement will depend on domestic and global crop conditions.  That said, if Russian rumours of a minimum price for exporting materialise there may be a new floor in the old crop market.

The milling wheat premium remains strong, in spite of cheaper fertiliser, at £56 per tonne over feed wheat.  Whilst fertiliser prices have fallen owing to large domestic and EU stocks, many arable businesses will have bought cover for this season months ago, at much higher pricing.  As such, the sharp decline in crop pricing will have a significant negative impact on potential returns for harvest 2023 (as shown by the budget for Loam Farm in the following article).

Feed barley prices continue to decline owing to a lack of demand both domestically and for export.  The value of ex-farm feed barley had fallen by £32 per tonne, from the beginning of March to 22nd March, in an attempt to remain export competitive.

Oilseed rape has seen by far the largest declines in price, since the beginning of the year, the value of ex-farm oilseed rape has dropped by £145 per tonne, to £350 per tonne.

Pulse prices have declined to a lesser extent than cereals and oilseed rape.  Feed beans and peas were quoted at £220 and £226 per tonne, down £32 and £16 per tonne on the month.

UK Grain Market Update

UK feed wheat prices followed European grain markets in February.  Values increased through the first three weeks of the month, before falling on weak EU import demand.  UK ex-farm feed wheat was quoted at £224 per tonne, on 24th February 2023.  This is up almost £11 per tonne on the end of January, but down £9 per tonne on the week ending 17th February.  Milling wheat continues to attract a strong premium of £57 per tonne.

The discount of barley has extended further.  Feed barley was quoted at £203 per tonne on 24th February, an increase of just £2 per tonne on the month.  Demand for barley for both feed and export remains poor.  Data from AHDB shows that animal feed production in July to December 2022 was down more than 5%.  Larger declines were seen for pig and poultry feed, down 12% and 9% respectively over the same period.  Usage of barley was down nearly 23%.

The value of oilseed rape was supported by rises in the value of wider global oilseeds throughout much of February.  Whilst prices fell towards the end of the month, ex-farm oilseed rape was quoted at £463 per tonne on Friday 24th Feb.  Prices are up on values at the end of January, but £30 per tonne down on the beginning of 2023.

The price of feed beans has continued to fall in February, at £243 per tonne, with poor demand.  One merchant commented on the difficulty in establishing new crop values also, given lack of trading activity and demand.  Pea prices have remained stable month-on-month, at £249 per tonne.

While output prices have fallen towards the end of February, so too have costs.  The price of ammonium nitrate for March delivery was quoted at £460 per tonne; a significant fall from the £700 per tonne quoted in January.  The impact of this on arable businesses will clearly vary greatly for the 2023 harvest, depending on the level of cover.  However, it is a promising sign for harvest 2024.

Rainfall in February was below average in many parts of the UK.  Whilst there is evidently ample time between now and harvest, there are have been some concerns expressed about these drier conditions, particularly given the droughts of last summer.

 

 

Grain Market Update

Grain and oilseed markets have continued their decline through January.  Any uncertainty or risk premium associated with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, almost a year ago, is priced in.

Combinable crop pricing is now very much centred on the balance of supply and demand at a global level.  Whilst grain markets are tighter year-on-year, expectations of large maize production in Brazil are pushing prices lower.  There may be some support going forwards, although this will depend on the extent to which dry weather impacts Argentinian maize and soyabean production.

Crops in the Northern Hemisphere are developing well.  A generally mild winter across Europe and the Black Sea has aided crop development.  That said, close attention will be paid to Ukrainian output, particularly of maize.  North America had been an area of concern with drought in key production regions but recent rainfall has contributed to the decline in prices.

UK markets have, unsurprisingly, followed the trends of global combinable crop markets.  Ex-farm UK feed wheat was quoted at £213  per tonne on 27th January 2023, down more than £15 per tonne on December levels.  Milling wheat prices have shown more resistance to the decline in global grain prices.  Ex-farm milling wheat premiums are approaching £57 per tonne.  With expensive nitrogen, and a lack of recommended Group 1 milling wheat varieties, there is a challenge for 2023 milling wheat supply.

Feed barley prices have also declined by less than feed wheat, down more than £8 per tonne from December levels, at £201 per tonne on 20th January 2023.  For domestic grains there will be demand concerns; poultry placings in November and December were noticeably down on year-earlier levels.  Additionally, the breeding pig herd is reduced following the last two years of challenging margins.

In the UK, ex-farm oilseed rape was quoted at £434 per tonne in January, around £134 per tonne behind January 2022 levels.  The decline has been driven by larger oilseed crops globally and reduced crude oil prices.  Soyabean production is forecast to be up almost 30 million tonnes year-on-year; largely driven by South America.  Argentinian dry weather may offer some support.  Additionally, large biodiesel mandates in Brazil and Asia could offer long term support, if unmatched by oilseed production increase.

Other protein prices have been stable.  Feed bean prices have fallen by £7 per tonne month-on-month, to £248 per tonne.  Feed pea values increased by £3 per tonne, to £248.

UK Grain Production & Markets

Defra have now published official figures for UK grain and oilseed rape production.  Previous figures had only covered England.  The latest figures show UK wheat production, in 2022, at 15.54 million tonnes.  This is 14% above the 2017-2021 average (13.65 million tonnes).  The figures include the second highest wheat production figure for Scotland on record, going back to 1999. The Scottish production figure, 1.00 million tonnes is driven by a record yield of 9.3 tonnes per hectare.

Total barley production is also up despite a fall in overall acreage.  This is driven by an increase in the proportion of winter barley grown versus spring, as well as a rise in average yields.  Total barley production is seen at 7.385 million tonnes.  Oat production is down year-on-year, but remains above 1 million tonnes for the fourth consecutive season.  Oilseed rape saw a resurgence in rotations in 2022, and the resultant production is seen at 1.36 million tonnes.  Production of OSR remains below the 5-year average however.

UK grain markets have followed the free-fall of global prices into December.  Ex-farm feed wheat (spot) was quoted on 16th December at £229 per tonne.  This is down more than £15 per tonne from the end of November.  The price of feed wheat is now only £10 per tonne higher than the same point last year.

Feed barley prices have followed a similar path, and ex-farm barley is now just over £1 per tonne higher than 17th December 2022.  The UK grain market is fundamentally better supplied than it was last season.  There is also the wider factor that global markets seem ‘comfortable’ with the current drivers of supply and demand, despite grain markets being tighter year-on-year.  The milling wheat market continues to hold a premium in excess of £50 per tonne over the feed market, an ongoing reflection of the lower protein crop harvested this year.

Oilseed rape prices also continue to fall, driven by expectations of large oilseed crop globally.  This is especially true in Brazil where soyabean production is forecast to reach a record 152 million tonnes; up from 127 million tonnes last season.  Ex-farm oilseed rape was quoted on 16th December at £463 per tonne.

Pulse markets continue to suffer from a lack of demand and have tracked other commodities lower.  Feed bean and peas are quoted at £255 and £245 per tonne, respectively.

UK Grain Markets

UK grain and oilseed markets have, unsurprisingly, continued to follow global trends.  Spot feed wheat was worth £241.50 per tonne in the week ending 18th November 2022; this is £16.70 per tonne lower than at the end of October.  On top of the global grain market falling, there are concerns about the impact of Avian Influenza and the smaller pig herd on feed grain demand.

Feed barley was worth £228.60 per tonne on 18th November.  This is a fall of £9.60 per tonne from the end of October.  The discount of barley to wheat has narrowed over the past month, this is reflective of the first official supply and demand estimates of AHDB, published in November.  The figures show opening stocks of barley at a ten-year low.  Despite this, the surplus available for export remains greater than last season and animal feed demand remains a key watch point.

While milling wheat prices have fallen, the premium of ex-farm milling wheat over feed has grown.  This is driven by reduced availability of high-protein milling wheat (13% protein plus) and the high cost of gluten as an alternative.  Milling wheat is at a near £55 per tonne premium over feed, as at 18th November.

UK oilseed rape prices have fallen in line with global oilseed benchmarks.  Ex-farm oilseed rape is now worth £518 per tonne, spot.  There is less demand in the UK this season with the closure of the Hull crushing facility, announced in June, set to take place in December.

The pulse market continues to suffer from a lack of demand, with the value of peas and beans having fallen to the end of the month.

Grain & Oilseed Market

This month, the first UK wheat and barley supply and demand figures for harvest 2022 were published by AHDB.  A 15.7 million tonne crop has left the UK looking well supplied.

Given the increase in available supplies relative to last season, the discount of UK feed wheat futures to Paris milling wheat futures has grown.  This will prompt increased export demand for UK grains.

The Pound closed on Friday 21st October at £1=$1.13, almost 7% lower against the Dollar than on 1st July.  It is worth highlighting that this is up significantly from the low of £1=$1.07 at the end of September.  The political and economic uncertainty in the UK that has caused the Pound to weaken at least increases the attractiveness of UK exports.

Wheat values have bounced around over the course of the past month, mostly driven by uncertainty over the Ukraine-Russia grain shipment deal.  However, with things returning to the status quo in the Black Sea, at least for the time being, grain values have fallen back.  On Friday 21st October, ex-farm feed wheat was worth £256 per tonne, down £12 per tonne from 23rd September.  Milling wheat prices have fallen £11 per tonne over the same time period to £311 per tonne.

AHDB’s barley supply and demand estimates shows UK production at 7.2 million tonnes.  The commentary alongside the estimates highlights a decline in barley demand in animal feed driven by a switch to wheat.  Barley is currently at a £19 per tonne discount to feed wheat.  If demand falls further, without a strong gain in exports the discount will grow.  Given the reductions in the size of the pig herd, a fall in barley demand seems likely.

In the next three months, the size of the South American maize crop will be a key driver of price.  Brazil and Argentina are key suppliers globally and are set to experience a third successive la Niña. The weather pattern brings drier than normal weather and tends to reduce output.

UK ex-farm oilseed rape is worth £521 per tonne, up almost £30 per tonne on the month.  Vegetable oils are the key driver of support for oilseed rape.  The destruction of a key sunflower oil processing plant in Ukraine, uncertainty over palm oil output in Southeast Asia, and strong EU purchasing (both rapeseed and sunflower seed) combined to support prices.  A large soyabean crop, globally, and expectations of big canola (OSR) crops in Australia and Canada is tempering prices.

Feed bean values continue to move lower on lacklustre demand both domestically and for export.