The European Union is on course for a good crop of winter barley, used for animal feed, but volumes are likely to be below last year's bumper crop, observers said on Thursday. "Optimism is growing and if favourable weather continues, ample supplies of feed barley for farmers are in sight," one German trader said.
EU 2015 winter barley yields of 5.44 tonnes per hectare are expected, down 7.9 percent on last year's excellent crop but up 0.9 percent on the average in the last five years, the European Commission's crop agency MARS estimates.
Harvesting usually starts around early July in Europe.
France's winter barley is in good shape after favourable sowing conditions and moderate winter weather.
"Overall, crop potential is decent given that sowing was on the early side, plant establishment was good and weather conditions have been mild so far," said Franck Viacek of crop institute Arvalis.
Farm office FranceAgriMer estimates 90 percent of winter barley crops were in good or excellent condition on March 23, up from 67 percent a year earlier and the highest rating for the period in the past five years.
French farmers sowed 1.3 million hectares for this year's harvest, up 4.6 percent from the previous year and 16.2 percent above the average of the previous five years, France's farm ministry has estimated.
Germany's crop could fall 4.8 percent on the year because of a 7.9 percent drop in yields to 9.04 million tonnes, Germany's farm co-operatives association estimates.
"This is a good average crop and barley is in great shape after welcome rain this week," one German analyst said.
Britain's winter barley is also looking good with planted area seen little changed.
"Most winter barley crops were drilled in the optimum September-October window and went into good conditions and established well," crop consultants ADAS said.
Cool nights and occasional frosts have slowed development but pest levels are low and weed control good, ADAS said.
A Home-Grown Cereals Authority survey in March projected winter barley area in England and Wales at 371,000 hectares little changed from the previous season's 370,000 hectares.
Poland is likely to harvest 920,000 to 950,000 tonnes, down from 1.02 million tonnes in 2014, due to smaller acreage and likely lower yields from last year's large crop, said Wojtek Sabaranski of analysts Sparks Polska.
Poland's mild winter was good for crops but there is concern about dryness in parts of the country, Sabaranski said.
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