EU wheat forecast down: HGCA

COCERALS latest EU wheat forecast for 2001 put the expected crop at 87.7m tonnes (95.5m in 2000), down from last months 88.7m tonnes.

Of the total, French and UK wheat production was forecast at 33.9m and 12.8m tonnes respectively.

EU barley production was put 0.5m tonnes down from last years 51.2m.

FREE-MARKET zero refunds continued for a further week on 130,000 tonnes of wheat and 5800 tonnes of barley.

Some 1800 tonnes of German intervention barley was sold at a minimum 117.75/t.

Further tranches of reduced-levy maize were also agreed of 27,150 tonnes and 116,000 tonnes for Spain and Portugal respectively.

MATIF May wheat rose steadily through the week ending 2 up from last Friday.