Monday Market Briefing - 15th April 2024

Trade remains very quiet as farmers everywhere have better things to do in the improved weather and we can expect more of the same this week – spring barley is still going in the ground in northern France and this week’s forecast is encouraging for the UK and Scandinavia to make further progress. This was enough to stall the recent malting barley rally, we will now get most of our acres and will have to wait and see what late planting means for yield later on. Meanwhile winter crop ratings continue to drift lower.

The EU has announced revised measures to control the flow of grain from Ukraine, for the 2024-25 season there will be limits on corn imports from the war-torn Country, but wheat is conspicuously absent from the measures and will be allowed to continue unchecked for another year. Currently, Black Sea shipments from Ukraine have returned very close to pre-war levels and- depending on where these cargoes go - this could be quite a curve ball for the new season if French protests at the new measures are ignored. We might not have heard the last word on this one.

Next Monday we have the Shoreham Users Meeting at the White Swan , Arundel 10:00 am start. Its an important event for our storage customers but all farmers in the region growing potentially exportable crops will find it an interesting event so please contact the grain office on 01243 755650 if you would like to hear more about that or come along.

Have a good week.