October 17, 2013
Better quality wheat crop could affect feed wheat in UK
Despite a relatively small quantity this year, a much better quality wheat crop is expected which could shift domestic supply issues to feed wheat.
At Home Grown Cereals Authority's (HGCA) grain market outlook conference, delegates heard this year's harvest was still a small crop but a much better quality crop than last year.
Jack Watts, senior analyst for cereals and oilseeds at Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB)/HGCA said, "Last year was a small crop with a low quality, this year it is a small crop but with a good quality. This season it shifts the supply emphasis to the feed wheat market."
He said this was because a larger amount of higher quality wheat was likely to serve the domestic milling market better than usual, which would mean a lower reliance on imported milling wheat but less availability of lower quality feed wheat domestically.
"We've got a feed wheat issue, it's not as simple as using barley instead because it has technical limitations. Feed wheat is becoming replaced by alternative grains," Watts said.
He also suggested this could lead to an increase in corn imports to use as feed and the conference heard how the better quality crop could also lead to a declining premium of milling wheat over feed wheat, as there would be a better supply of good quality wheat available.
This decline in premium of milling wheat could be compounded by wheat stocks because of large imports over the past few years, the conference heard.