Barley prices have been slipping lower during this crop year. Neil Blue, provincial crops market analyst, says the seasonal pattern of barley prices implies that there should have been a price recovery following harvest, but that has not been the case.
The tariff on Australian barley exports to China was dropped in August 2023 and Australian exports to China have resumed, outcompeting Canadian-sourced barley to that market. Canadian bulk barley exports this crop year to mid-January, as reported by the Canadian Grain Commission, are running near half of last year’s pace.
Blue says the current outlook for barley prices is flat into spring, when Northern Hemisphere weather concerns may provide support.
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