EU 2023/24 soft wheat exports at 10.81 mln T, Bulgaria data lacking
Soft wheat exports from the European Union since the start of the 2023/24 season in July had reached 10.81 million metric tons by Nov. 12, down 21% compared with 13.66 million a year earlier, data published by the European Commission showed.
EU barley exports totalled 2.62 million tons, down 6% against 2.79 million tons in the corresponding period in 2022/23.
However, the Commission said export data for Bulgaria was lacking since mid-September and that it was investigating the issue.
Bulgaria is usually among the EU’s largest wheat exporters.
The Commission’s current figures showed Romania was the biggest EU soft wheat exporter so far in 2023/24, with 2.95 million tons shipped, followed by France with 2.27 million, Poland with 1.82 million, Germany with 967,000 and Lithuania with 963,000. Bulgaria was next with 937,000 tons, a figure unchanged in recent weeks.
EU wheat exports this season have been curbed by strong Russian competition, though large sales of French wheat to China may boost the EU export pace in the coming months.
The European Commission listed the top five destinations for EU soft wheat exports so far this season, compared with a year ago, as follows:
2023/24 2022/23
Destination tons share tons share
Morocco 1,740,911 16.1% 1,727,742 12.6%
Nigeria 1,192,882 11.0% 1,002,186 7.3%
Algeria 936,608 8.7% 1,901,004 13.9%
South Africa 642,724 5.9% 476,385 3.5%
Egypt 560,409 5.2% 1,589,785 11.6%
In imports, EU soft wheat inflows were up 16% from a year earlier at 3.30 million tons, with drought-hit Spain by far the main importer at 1.89 million tons.
Imports of durum wheat, the variety used in pasta, so far in 2023/24 had reached 1.22 million tons, nearly four times the year-earlier volume, as EU countries led by Italy offset a poor harvest this year.
EU maize imports had reached 6.29 million tons, against a year-earlier 10.92 million. Spain was also the largest EU maize importer so far in 2023/24 with 2.70 million tons.
The top five supplier countries for EU maize imports were listed as follows:
2023/24 2022/23
Origin tons share tons share
Ukraine 2,859,124 45.4% 4,485,640 41.1%
Brazil 2,676,392 42.5% 5,708,533 52.3%
Canada 220,147 3.5% 139,620 1.3%
Serbia 103,785 1.6% 285,748 2.6%
South Africa 78,349 1.2% 78,494 0.7%
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