UK grain exporters shipped 291,785 tonnes of wheat overseas in September, including 173,491 tonnes to Spain, official customs data showed on Friday. Wheat exports for the July-September period were 601,079 tonnes, slightly down from 611,064 in the same period last year.
For the third quarter, shipments to Spain rose to 343,912 tonnes, up from 295,989 in the same period last year.
Spain's domestic grain production this year has been devastated by the worst drought on record. Portugal remained the second most important buyer of British wheat during the third quarter at 82,215 tonnes versus 82,820 a year earlier.
Exports to the Netherlands fell sharply, however, to 18,949 tonnes from 61,159 during the third quarter of 2004. British barley exports for September were 55,771 tonnes, including 36,935 tonnes to Spain.