Excellent harvests across Europe will bring prices down

Excellent harvests so far this season across Europe have the potential to bring prices down. With a 20 million tonne surplus expected in the European Union growers are likely to face direct competition from the Black Sea region.

Oversupply and bigger crops have already seen wheat and protein values weaken and the situation is likely to continue as reports from the UK so far predict an excellent harvest.

At Anstey, Hertfordshire, David Bentley gets on with the job of harvesting 200 acres of oilseed rape on Alswick Hall Farm. OSR trading has seen a flurry of activity with harvests in Europe almost complete.

David Sheppard, managing director of Gleadell Agriculture, said: "The market is at a bit of a crossroads at present. The volumes coming out of Bulgaria, Romania and the Ukraine are sizeable and are setting the benchmark for not just the Spanish Mediterranean market but also north Spain – both traditional UK markets.