July 2, 2012

Rouen grain shipments dive to two-month low

Grain cargoes from the port of Rouen in France plunged 34% in the latest week as consignments of wheat and barley dropped.

Cargoes slid to 39,980 tonnes between June 21 and June 27 from 60,368 tonnes a week earlier, the Seine River port wrote in an e-mailed report. That included 35,816 tonnes of soft wheat, down from 45,086 tonnes the week before.

Grain loadings fell to the lowest since the seven days through April 25. Algeria was the main destination in the most recent period with 25,001 tonnes of soft wheat, followed by Portugal with 9,025 tonnes.

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.