Strong grain production reduces Spain’s import needs

MADRID, SPAIN — A jump in winter grains production is expected to reduce Spain’s import demand, according to a report from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

For the second year in a row, favorable weather conditions have led to a strong winter grains crop. Spain is expected to produce 24 million tonnes of grain in the 2021-22 marketing year.

The USDA expects the larger crop to decrease Spain’s grain imports to 13 million tonnes in the 2021-22 marketing year compared to the average import need of 14 million tonnes.

The country’s grain consumption is mostly based on domestic feed demand as it accounts for over 75% of the country’s demand. The USDA projects Spain’s total grain production to total 36 million tonnes in the 2021-22 marketing year. As Brazil continues to struggle with drought conditions, Spain is expected to shift toward larger use of domestic grains in the feed formula and possible imports from other EU countries.

Source: World Grain