November 26, 2012

Spain's September wheat imports down 38% as corn buying rises

Spain's wheat imports dropped by 38% in September on-year, while increasing its corn purchases.

The country imported 695,429 tonnes of wheat in the month, compared with 1.12 million tonnes in September 2011, according to trade data published by the government this week. Imports in the year-earlier period were the highest for a single month since August 2005.

Spain's grain imports are expected to climb 20% in the 2012-13 season after drought reduced the local cereal harvest, farm and food-industry group Cooperatives Agro- Alimentarias said in July. Italy was the EU's largest wheat importer last season, trade data show.

Spanish wheat imports from July-September dropped to 1.77 million tonnes, from 2.25 million tonnes in the first three months of the previous season. The country imported a total of 6.11 million tonnes of wheat in the 2011-12 crop year.

September corn imports rose to 215,517 tonnes, from 173,854 tonnes a year earlier. Purchases in the first three months of the 2012-13 season amounted to 830,210 tonnes, up from 742,546 tonnes a year earlier. Spain bought 5.59 million tonnes of corn in 2011-12, trade data show.

The country imported 22,362 tonnes of barley in September, compared with 28,326 tonnes a year earlier.