June 17, 2012

French Rouen port grain cargoes surge 86%

Wheat demand from Algeria and Cuba has made grain shipments to skyrocket 86% from the French port of Rouen, Europe's largest cereal-shipping hub, in the most recent week.

Export cargoes rose to 91,772 tonnes between June 7 and June 13 from 49,400 tonnes a week earlier, the Seine River port wrote in an e-mailed report. That included 86,302 tonnes of soft wheat, more than double the 42,085 tonnes the previous week.

Algeria was the biggest destination with 52,840 tonnes of soft wheat, up from 25,874 tonnes a week earlier, followed by Cuba with 26,762 tonnes of wheat from none the previous week.

Rouen accounted for 41% of France's grain exports by sea in 2010-11, ahead of La Pallice on the Bay of Biscay and Dunkirk on the North Sea, which shipped out 17% and 11%, respectively, according to port data.