March 23, 2012
France's Rouen grain cargoes down 31%
Exports of grain from France's Rouen port, Europe's largest cereal-shipping hub, dropped 31% as compared from the previous week through yesterday as wheat cargoes to Africa declined.
Outbound grain shipments were 159,777 tonnes between March 15 and March 21 from 231,849 tonnes a week earlier, the Seine River port said in an e-mailed report today. Exports included 114,100 tonnes of soft wheat.
Morocco was the biggest export destination, taking 85,980 tonnes of soft wheat and 32,898 tonnes of barley, the data showed.
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.
