News and Articles

• New-crop 2026 barley export values indicated near $203-205 per ton.
• Feed barley held steady to slightly firmer on forward curves.
• Russia, Australia and France dominate global barley supply.
• Australia exports 55-70% of its crop, mainly to Asia and the Middle East.
• Below 1% annual volume growth leaves the market sensitive to shocks.

Feed barley held steady through late May 2026 while wheat and energy price swings shaped the wider grain outlook for the year. New-crop 2026 barley export values were indicated near $203-205 per ton, with the broader average export price stabilizing around $239 per ton. Feed barley stayed steady to slightly firmer on forward curves, and Australian feed barley futures showed modest gains for late-2026 and 2027 delivery, pointing to a market that buyers can plan around without expecting sharp moves in either direction.

Supply remains concentrated in a small group of origins. Russia leads at about 22 million tons, followed by Australia near 14 million tons and France around 12 million tons. Australia produces an average of roughly 12 million tons across 4.8 million hectares, with 30-40% delivered as malting barley and the rest used for animal feed or human consumption. Between 55% and 70% of Australian production is exported each year, with China, the Middle East and Japan as the main destinations and emerging interest from buyers in the Americas. In Europe, a large share of consumption goes to animal nutrition, led by Germany at about 9 million tons, while French barley delivered to Rouen has traded at a modest premium over the nearby Euronext wheat contract on decent demand and limited spot supplies.

The forward view points to constrained growth and higher volatility. Global barley volume growth is projected to stay below 1% a year through the middle of the next decade, which leaves the market sensitive to weather, water scarcity and trade flows from the dominant exporters. Australia's role as a reliable supplier to Asia depends in part on how it manages water availability across its growing regions.

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For procurement teams in animal feed, malting and brewing, the steady tone is a planning advantage. Feed compounders can budget with more confidence when forward curves are flat to slightly firmer, while maltsters watching the malting premium can time purchases around the spread to feed-grade material. The concentration of supply in Russia, Australia and France does carry origin risk, since disruption at any one source can move the market quickly given thin overall growth.

Buyers reliant on a single origin should weigh spreading volume across exporters to limit exposure to weather or policy shocks. The premium that French barley has held over wheat at Rouen shows how local supply tightness can develop even in a generally steady market. Watching exporter shipment data, water conditions in Australia and the barley-to-wheat spread in Europe gives the clearest read on where feed and malting costs head through the rest of 2026.