Rapid UK oat exports in the first half of 2023/24

Sign up to receive the Weekly Market Report and Grain Market Daily from AHDB. In the first half of the 2023/24 marketing season the UK exported oats at a faster pace than average, despite a below average availability. From 1 July to 31 December 2023 the UK exported 74.2 Kt of oats (HMRC). This is down from 89.5 Kt in the first half of the 2022/23 season but well above the five-year average of 46.8 Kt for the first six months of the season. This pace is despite total UK 2023/24 oat supply, which was estimated at 995 Kt in January, falling 15% below the five-season average of 1,171 Kt. The pace is being driven by demand from the EU, with Belgium (33.0 Kt), Spain (13.8 Kt) and Germany (12.5 Kt) the main destinations. This follows a 20% fall in EU-27 oat production in 2023 due to combination of lower area and poorer yields (EU Commission). In January, AHDB forecast UK oat exports this season at 100 Kt, based on the data and insight available at that point. This leaves 25.8 Kt to be ...