GATHERING in this year's cereal harvest is proving difficult and with the forecast suggesting more rain is on the way, there is a danger that in some parts the process will soon be little more than a salvage operation.
Roger Baird, a director of WN Lindsay, one of the UK's biggest independent grain traders, said: "We have seen some decent barley in the North-east and parts of Angus. However, work is behind schedule in Fife, while there is still a lot of grain to
be harvested in the Lothians."
In most years there is demand for more than 650,000 tonnes of quality malting barley in Scotland. The trade is experiencing problems with the relatively new variety Oxbridge, according to Baird.
He said: "Oxbridge has been a major disappointment with splitting and sprouting in the ear. Optic, which has been around for a number of years, is still the preferred choice, but we need a new variety and on that front it appears that Publican may have something to offer."
Most malting barley is grown on contract with a base price of about £150 per tonne, but growers with top-quality grain can expect up to an additional £20 per tonne. Prices on the spot market for all cereals remain volatile and some feed wheat is now trading at little more than £112 per tonne ex-farm.
Baird points out that the London futures market for wheat in November is £30 a tonne lower than June. But he is optimistic for the medium and longer term, with world stocks low and little prospect of a large carry-over.
The full article contains 278 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
