Grain prices were more positive this week. The Matif French wheat price for December closed up last week at €209.25/t. On Wednesday afternoon, it was at €208.50/t.

Meanwhile, the French maize price for November dropped by €3/t last week and was at €200.50/t on Wednesday afternoon.

Speaking at a Laois IFA grain meeting on Tuesday, Rory Deverell of Black Silo Consulting said explained that the large amount of grain in the world is not helping prices.

For example, Brazil is producing more and more maize, France has 7m tonnes more wheat than last year and this year.

At that IFA meeting, Rory noted that US maize production could increase by as much as 30m tonnes, the equivalent to all of Ukraine’s maize production.

The European maize crop is reported to be under pressure. Stratégie Grains decreased its EU maize production forecast by 3m tonnes to 57.4m tonnes from last month.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) reported that about 10% of the UK winter barley harvest was completed on 9 July. Yields were reported to be positive at 6.8t to 7t/ha. Moisture contents were reported to be averaging 13.6%. Some winter oilseed rape crops have also been harvested.

WASDE

The US Department of Agriculture released its World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report on 11 July.

Global wheat supplies were reported to be reduced. Projected 2025/2026 global ending stocks were down 1.2m tonnes due to reductions in the EU and Canada.

The report placed global corn production down 3.6m tonnes.

Oilseed rape

Oilseed rape prices recovered this week. On Friday of last week, the November French oilseed rape price closed at €475.50/t, down €10.25/t on the week before. On Wednesday afternoon, it was back up to €484.25/t.

Malting barley

On Wednesday afternoon, the Free-On-Board Creil Planet price for October/March malting barley was at €220.25/t.

At that IFA meeting, Rory explained that grain markets probably would have landed at current levels without tariffs, except malting barley.

There was now an “unnaturally bad price for malting barley due to the trade war”.

Native prices

Prices at home for November native barley are reported at around €210 to €215/t dried this week, up about €5/t from last week. Feed wheat prices were also up. Native wheat for November was reported at around €220 to €225/t.