March 16, 2012

France's Rouen grain exports up 4.4%

Boosted by wheat shipments to Africa and the Netherlands, France's Rouen port grain exports rose 4.4% in the week through Wednesday (Mar 14) to the highest level in 11 months.

Outbound grain shipments were 231,849 tonnes between March 8-14 from 222,038 tonnes a week earlier, the Seine River port said in an e-mailed report today. Exports included 192,699 tonnes of soft wheat and 27,000 tonnes of the durum variety.

Morocco was the biggest export destination, taking 33,000 tonnes of soft wheat and 27,000 tonnes of durum, used to make couscous and pasta, the shipping data showed. Algeria was the second-biggest client with 45,642 tonnes of soft wheat.

The Netherlands took 32,225 tonnes of soft wheat from France, the most shipped to the country from Rouen since at least August 2010, according to port data.

Rouen accounted for 45% of France's maritime grain exports in 2009-10, ahead of La Pallice on the Bay of Biscay, which shipped out 19%, according to figures from national crops office FranceAgriMer.