June 20, 2012

Algeria's shipment boosts UK wheat exports

Boosted by Algeria's shipment of more than 50,000 tonnes, British wheat exports picked up slightly in April, customs data showed on Tuesday (June 19).

Shipments during April totalled 128,710 tonnes, up from 124,916 tonnes in March. The largest customer in April was Algeria, which took 57,907 tonnes.

Cumulative shipments for the 2011-12 season, which started on July 1, 2011, were 2.23 million tonnes, down 9% from 2.45 million in the same period of the 2010-11 season.

Shipments to EU customers totalled just 70,803 tonnes, the lowest monthly total so far this season. For the season to date, EU exports were running 13% below the prior season's pace at 1.88 million tonnes.

Algeria has now taken 82,783 tonnes of UK wheat this season, up from 23,750 tonnes in the same period last season.

There were no exports to the US in April, ending a run of five consecutive monthly shipments of nearly 50,000 tonnes each for a season-to-date total of 242,698 tonnes. There were no significant shipments to the US in 2010-11.

UK rapeseed exports in April fell to 96,132 tonnes, down from the prior month's 144,126 tonnes.

Cumulative shipments for the season-to-date were sharply higher, however, at 875,027 tonnes, more than double the 390,573 tonnes shipped in the same period in the 2010-11 season.

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