Barley market — is there real hype?

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Barley area keeps shrinking for a long term, down by almost 15% over the last 6 seasons, led by cuts in Iraq, Morocco, russia, and Ukraine. Supply failed to meet fully barley usage in recent years, with stocks bridging the gap.

Asian biggest importers are China and Japan with top suppliers being Australia and Canada, while the rest buying clusters prefer Black Sea origins.

EU barley exports are impressive: up 130% from last year, the fastest pace in at least three years. Romania and France are the biggest exporters in the EU, but Romania has already shipped 65% of its export potential for the 2025/26 season.

Unlike last season, Moscow is not signaling about intentions to limit feed-grain exports so far. Last season, an export quota was introduced only for wheat in mid-Feb, but not for barley or corn.

The 2025/26 is a good season for Ukrainian barley. Despite solid 2025 crop, prices firmed early in the season and were firm even as other feed grains softened, making barley the most expensive feed grain in the domestic market.

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Tags: export, barley, Romania, EU, prices, France, Canada, Black Sea region, Australia, Ukraine, China