Jordan's state grains buyer has issued an international tender to purchase 100,000 tonnes of feed barley, European traders said on Monday. The bidding deadline is August 17 and origin is optional, traders said. In its last barley tender for 100,000 tonnes on July 27, Jordan rejected all offers and made no purchase. Offers for feed barley in the July 27 tender were unusually high compared to prices for higher-quality milling wheat.
Traders put this down to a surge of Saudi Arabian barley buying in past weeks after Russia ended its grain export ban on July 1. "It looks like buyers are testing the waters again to see if the flood of Russian grain is starting to cool barley prices," one trader said. Russian grain exports surged to record levels in July after an export ban imposed after last year's drought-damaged harvest was lifted. Russia's grain harvest has also made excellent progress in past weeks, raising volumes offered for sale on international markets.