Out-turning barley for the 33,115t cargo shipped to China in April from Albany in WA. Photo: Commodity Ag

AUSTRALIA exported 826,954 tonnes of barley and 410,470t of sorghum in May, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data.

Malting barley comprised 170,534t and feed barley 656,419t, with the malting figure being down 21 percent and the feed figure half the April totals respectively.

Major destinations for feed barley in May were China on 589,184t, with the United Arab Emirates on 41,000t and Saudi Arabia on 19,000t in second and third.

China on 79,096t was also the major market for malting barley, followed by Mexico on 30,270t and Peru on 21,000t.

China on 404,938t was the destination for 99pc of Australia’s sorghum exports, with Taiwan on 3736t and The Philippines on 1724t a long way behind for second and third.

In its barley supply-and-demand report released June 12, Lachstock Consulting said current season exports continue to exceed expectations, tightening eastern Australian stocks and supporting demand.

“Globally, China remains the key driver with imports forecast around 12.95 million tonnes,” the report said.

“Further downside in Australian barley values appears limited, with exporters re-engaging and export parity largely achieved.”

Table 1: Australian feed barley exports for March, April and May 2026. Source: ABS

Table 2: Australian malting barley exports for March, April and May 2026. Source: ABS

Table 3: Australian sorghum exports for March, April and May 2026. Source: ABS

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