Logistics constraints and weak demand put pressure on Moldovan barley prices

Barley prices in Moldova ranged between 2.9 and 3.0 lei per kilogram in July, despite the early start of the 2026/27 marketing season. The first export shipment of the new crop at the end of June was sold at 3.19 lei/kg, below last year’s opening price of 3.40 lei/kg.

According to Logos Press, Moldova exported 559 tons of new-crop barley during the final week of June. All shipments were handled by AVVATERRA-SM under DAP Reni terms, with Cyprus listed as the final destination. Market analysts attribute the lower starting price to expectations of a bumper harvest and the broader decline in regional grain prices.

Yurie Rija, Director of the Agrocereale Grain Producers and Exporters Association, said logistics bottlenecks are adding further pressure to the market. Attacks on port infrastructure and commercial vessels in the Azov and Black Seas have disrupted export logistics and weighed on grain prices across the region.

At the same time, crop prospects remain highly favorable. Experts estimate that Moldova’s average barley yield has already reached a record 6 t/ha, while even the lowest yields in many farms are around 5 t/ha. As a result, total barley production is expected to exceed the average of recent years by a wide margin.

Analysts note that the current season differs sharply from the previous one. During the 2025/26 marketing year, strong demand pushed barley prices above wheat prices for certain periods. This season, however, a record harvest combined with logistical constraints and subdued demand is expected to keep pressure on barley prices.