Grain stocks at 12 year low at end of 2011/12 cereal year
At 403,000t, on-farm stocks of wheat at the end of June were the lowest for 12 years and accounted for just 3% of the crop.
In addition to stocks held on farm, merchants, co-ops and ports held 561,000t of home-grown wheat, a decrease of 6% on June 2011. Imported wheat stocks at 117,000t were at similar levels to those of June 2011.
On-farm barley stocks at the end of the 2011/12 season were 63,000t, similar to the low stocks of 56,000t in June 2011 and representing 2% of production. For both years stocks were equivalent to 2% of production.
Merchants, co-ops and ports had 310,000t of barley compared with 250,000t reported for June 2011. Although an increase on June 2011, stocks were lower than in 2009 and 2010, said DEFRA.
Keep up with the latest agricultural business news