Barley prices in ports have caught up with corn, demand dictates conditions

Barley has overtaken corn in price, becoming a key player in the grain market due to growing demand and decreasing domestic supply.

Since the beginning of the year, barley has shown the largest price increase among grain crops. This was reported by Olivier Bouillet, Head of the Analytical Department of ASAP Agri, in a commentary to Latifundist.

The main factor in the recovery in prices was the activation of buyers in ports, who are seeking to secure the necessary volumes ahead of planned deliveries. The key reason for this rise is the decrease in export potential due to high domestic demand, especially from the livestock sector.

At the end of last week, barley was offered at $208-210 per ton in the ports of Great Odesa. This is a noticeable jump compared to the harvest period, when the price was about $50 lower.

“The significant price gap between barley and corn, as well as feed wheat, has made barley attractive for feed rations, especially in the fall. As a result, the reduction in domestic supply contributed to the increase in prices, which have now reached the level of corn prices,” Bouye noted.

As USM recently reported, an entrepreneur who organized extortions from grain traders will be tried in the Odesa region.