Grain Trends: markets steady again this week

Grain prices remain relatively steady again this week. Spot price reports are unchanged at home. Nearby prices are relatively unchanged in France and the UK.

The Matif wheat price for December in France climbed slightly this week from €216.25/t on Friday 15 November to €218/t on Wednesday morning 20 November.

Looking ahead to the December 2025 price, it fell €6/t last week to €224.25/t and recovered this week to €227.50/t on Tuesday night 19 November.

Ukraine remains a watchpoint for markets, but at present reports suggest the fundamentals of supply and demand are affecting prices.

Weather looks to have improved for crops in the northern hemisphere, while there are concerns about the impact of weather on crops in the Black Sea.

FranceAgriMer has reported that 71% of the maize crop was harvested as of 11 November and 89% of winter barley was planted. This time last year, 83% of winter barley had been planted. The five-year average for the time of year is 91%.

Some 49% of the winter wheat planted in the US was reported to be in good condition as of 17 November, up from 44% the previous week.

Oilseed rape

French oilseed rape for February closed at a price of €539.25/t last week, up €3.25/t on the week. On Wednesday morning, that price was at €536/t.

There had been some support for oilseed rape prices, but there is expected to be a large soybean crop in Brazil. Soybean prices generally have an impact on oilseed rape prices.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) in the UK reported that some price recovery in the vegetable oils markets may help to keep oilseed rape prices steady in the longer term.

In the US, the soybean harvest was reported to be 96% complete as of 10 November.

Native prices

Spot prices for barley and wheat are reported unchanged from last week at €220/t to €225/t for barley (dried) and €235/t to €240/t for wheat (dried). Maize ex-port is reported to have fallen this week from about €240/t to €235/t.

Quinns of Baltinglass has started to supply forward price offers to suppliers. This week, it offered prices of €210/t for green wheat, €200/t for green barley and €465/t for green oilseed rape for harvest 2025.

We are still collecting information on grain prices for harvest 2024. Farmers can let us know how much they were paid including the base price, moisture and quality bonuses and deductions and transport payments. If dockets are provided, they will be strictly confidential and used only to confirm the price received.