The wheat export season will start slowly in the new 2021/2022 harvest year, which starts in July. Initial reports show French wheat exports to countries outside the EU are at their lowest level in 10 years.
Just like in The Netherlands the changeable weather plays an important role in the slow start of the grain harvest. According to market agency Refinitiv, the late harvest is the main reason for lagging exports.
Smallest export since 2009/2010
France exported 349.200 tons of soft wheat to countries outside the EU in July, according to preliminary data from Refinitiv. That is approximately 74.000 tons less than in the same month a year earlier and the smallest export since the 2009/2010 season, when the agency started keeping this data. Great Britain is the largest buyer of wheat with 122.600 tons, well behind Algeria (number 2) with 61.900 tons.
Barley exports for July amount to 333.200 tons. China dominated barley exports, purchasing 298.900 tons of feed barley. There was interest in malting barley from Mexico. In July, 31.500 tons of malting barley were shipped to the Central American country. Total French grain exports (all types of wheat, barley, and corn) in July amounted to 886.500 tons, also the lowest level in 10 years.
Concerns about quality
It is not unusual that July is a weak month for French grain exporters. This is because people usually wait for the new harvest during this period. This year, heavy rain showers caused additional delays in the harvest and raised doubts about the quality of the (baking) wheat. It is expected that the backlog that occurred in July will be made up quickly. In August, 118.000 tons have already been loaded and 308.400 tons of wheat are waiting to be shipped at the ports.
FranceAgriMer expects a total of 2021 million tonnes of soft wheat to be exported from France to countries outside the EU in the 2022/10,5 season. That is 3 million tons more than last season.