March 14, 2012

UK wheat exports curb in January

Despite the shipment of a cargo to the US, UK wheat exports slowed during January, customs data showed on Tuesday (Mar 13).

Shipments during January totalled 218,919 tonnes, down from 324,496 tonnes in December and a season high of 445,172 tonnes in November, the figures showed.

Cumulative shipments for the 2011/12 season, which started on July 1, 2011, were 1.80 million tonnes, down about 15% from 2.12 million in the same period a year earlier.

The latest monthly total included a shipment of 49,200 tonnes to the US, bringing the total for the season to date to 148,198 tonnes. There were no shipments to the US during the 2010/11 season.

Trade sources have said a further cargo of wheat was due to be shipped in February, bringing the cumulative total to about 200,000 tonnes.

The Netherlands was the most important customer for UK wheat, taking 75,756 tonnes in January for a cumulative total of 743,443 tonnes, up from 514,205 tonnes in the year ago period.

Shipments to Spain, however, were just 36,041 tonnes to season-to-date total of 369,098 tonnes, down from 531,225 tonnes in the first seven months of the 2010/11 season.

UK rapeseed exports in January were 93,215 tonnes, bringing the total for the season so far to 500,056 tonnes, sharply up from 198,207 tonnes in the year earlier period.

Rapeseed exports had been expected to rise sharply this season following a record harvest in 2011.