ONIGC Sees EU Wheat Output up 12-15 Pct in 08/09
French arable crop office ONIGC said on Wednesday it expected soft wheat production in the European Union to jump to around 130 million tonnes in the 2008/09 season, up 12-15 percent from 2007/2008.
Last year's harvest had been below average due mainly to bad weather at the end of the cycle.
"We should have a fair crop with a satisfactory quality level," ONIGC deputy director Patrice Germain told reporters.
This higher output could lead the 27-member bloc to have an exportable surplus of around 11 million tonnes, against a weak 8.8 million tonnes exported in 2007/2008 when European wheat was not competitive enough against other origins, it said.
High maize prices linked to uncertainties concerning the U.S. 2008 corn crop should boost demand for wheat in animal feed in the EU, ONIGC also said.
"Soft wheat's place (in feed) could jump 20 percent to 58 million tonnes against 49 million in 2007/2008", Germain said.
In its first crop estimates for the season that started at the beginning of the month, ONIGC put the bloc's barley output (winter and spring) at more than 61 million tonnes, up 7 to 8 percent from last year.
Here again, the EU's exportable surplus would rise from last season, pegged at 4.2 million tonnes, against 3.7 million exported in 2007/2008.
This rise could be partly filled by a rise in interest from international buyers attracted by good quality levels that would make it fit for brewery uses, Germain said.
Weather permitting, the EU maize output was expected at more than 56 million tonnes, up 15 percent from 2007/08, ONIGC said.
Maize use in animal feed was seen dropping five million tonnes below last year at 45 million tonnes in favour of wheat.
However, imports from outside the bloc were expected to come back to normal levels after the record 15 million tonnes last season when the European Union suspended tariffs on nearly all grains, opening the door to massive shipments of cheaper maize, notably from Brazil.
Last year's harvest had been below average due mainly to bad weather at the end of the cycle.
"We should have a fair crop with a satisfactory quality level," ONIGC deputy director Patrice Germain told reporters.
This higher output could lead the 27-member bloc to have an exportable surplus of around 11 million tonnes, against a weak 8.8 million tonnes exported in 2007/2008 when European wheat was not competitive enough against other origins, it said.
High maize prices linked to uncertainties concerning the U.S. 2008 corn crop should boost demand for wheat in animal feed in the EU, ONIGC also said.
"Soft wheat's place (in feed) could jump 20 percent to 58 million tonnes against 49 million in 2007/2008", Germain said.
In its first crop estimates for the season that started at the beginning of the month, ONIGC put the bloc's barley output (winter and spring) at more than 61 million tonnes, up 7 to 8 percent from last year.
Here again, the EU's exportable surplus would rise from last season, pegged at 4.2 million tonnes, against 3.7 million exported in 2007/2008.
This rise could be partly filled by a rise in interest from international buyers attracted by good quality levels that would make it fit for brewery uses, Germain said.
Weather permitting, the EU maize output was expected at more than 56 million tonnes, up 15 percent from 2007/08, ONIGC said.
Maize use in animal feed was seen dropping five million tonnes below last year at 45 million tonnes in favour of wheat.
However, imports from outside the bloc were expected to come back to normal levels after the record 15 million tonnes last season when the European Union suspended tariffs on nearly all grains, opening the door to massive shipments of cheaper maize, notably from Brazil.
