Soft wheat prices on Euronext and the French physical market lost some ground between the sessions of October 30 and November 6, particularly as a result of the weak momentum in exports from the European Union. One of the reasons is Algeria's boycott of French origin.
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During its last purchase, French firms could participate, but did not have the possibility of offering French wheat. To make matters worse, the newspaper Le Figaro revealed on November 7 that Algeria would threaten all import and export operations with France. The latest Egyptian purchase on November 4 also illustrated the lack of attractiveness of French origins on the world stage. Gasc, the General Authority in charge of Egypt's supplies, has turned massively towards Eastern European origins. Recall that the government organization acquired 290,000 t, including 120,000 t from Ukraine, 120,000 t from Romania and 50,000 t from Bulgaria, at $273-275/t C&F, to be loaded in November-December. The Russian origin was also not retained, but the prices proposed by Russia at $265/t FOB nevertheless remain lower than the French proposals (higher than $270/t FOB). Cultivation conditions are improving in various global production areas. In France, the drier weather is favorable for sowing winter crops. In terms of activity, port premiums change little, just like those on the domestic market. The mill continues to show interest in purchasing, but without rushing either. Quality volumes remain difficult to find. Pet food manufacturers are hedging themselves in the short term to meet their needs for the end-of-year holiday season.
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Downward trend confirmed on river freight
In the Seine basin, river freight costs did not change between October 30 and November 6, after the occasional increases last week. Some batches of cereals are being loaded, after numerous qualitative analyses. There are numerous quality problems with the goods transported, whether in terms of weevil, ergot, protein content and specific weight. Export activity remains sluggish. So much so that we are still recording periods of technical unemployment among certain shippers at the port of Rouen. Some storage organizations in the hinterland of the port of Rouen and Dunkirk have even announced that they will not load any grain from November 15, a month before the usual end-of-year truce for confectioners. “Never seen before! », exclaims a river transport specialist.
On the Rhine, navigation is carried out normally, on the basis of freight costs without change from one week to the next.
Kevin Cler and Karine Floquet
But
The demand manifests itself
Corn prices on Euronext and by extension the French markets increased somewhat between October 30 and November 6, following the increase observed in Chicago. There has been significant international demand for American origins in recent weeks, before the election of Donald Trump as president of the country. Nevertheless, the dollar has strengthened compared to other currencies, penalizing the attractiveness of American origins on the international scene. On the French physical market, exchanges are reported, mainly on short maturities. As the harvest is delayed, buyers, particularly Belgian-Dutch, must cover their purchases over the November-December period. The French and Spanish FABs are also showing up. However, the good returns mean that buyers are not rushing either.
Feed barley
Port premiums are still increasing
Feed barley prices fell slightly from one market price to the next, in the wake of soft wheat. Note that port premiums have briefly increased once again this week, as a result of continued demand. Deals happened. Nevertheless, the market remains generally calm, especially on the domestic market. Sowing conditions are improving in France, thanks to the drier weather in recent days.
Malting barley
Price decline
Prices for malting barley fell more markedly, all varieties (winter and spring) and harvests (2024 and 2025) combined. This is due to market indolence. Sowing conditions are improving in France, thanks to the drier weather in recent days.
Durum wheat
Slight drop in values
Durum wheat prices are down overall from one week to the next, due to international competition. Prices from Italy are falling, knowing that the Canadian origin, of very good quality, will arrive soon. A current of demand persists in France, without supply really following.
The editorial staff
