Blue poppy seeds: no offers despite good crop forecasts

May 13, 2020 at 2:27 PM , Der AUDITOR
Play report as audio

CHRUDIM. The evaluation of the blue poppy fields in the Czech Republic has put the market players in a positive mood. Nevertheless, farmers are very cautious with prices for the new crop.

Nothing has been settled yet

For two years in a row, the Czech blue poppy seed crop had turned out worse than expected after unfavourable weather conditions had caused considerable damage. For this reason, both traders and farmers are currently holding back with offers for the new crop.

The condition of the fields is currently good. Market players have seen the development of the plants on site and report that the lush rainfall of the past few days, mixed with sufficient hours of sunshine, has been a blessing for the plants. However, it looked similar in May 2019, until the dry June weather put a damper on the farmers' plans. Since an estimated 40,000 ha were sown, the blue poppy seed market can ideally look forward to a good crop (29,000-34,000 metric tonnes) this year. If the weather does not play along in the coming weeks, an average crop (21,000-26,000 metric tonnes) should still be possible. Meanwhile, spot prices for blue poppy seeds, <10 ppm morphine, from the 2019 crop have settled at a level of EUR 2.77 per kg DDP Germany.

Blue poppy seeds

Type

Price

Czech Republic, <10 ppm morphine, DDP DE

EUR 2.77/kg

Turkey, <20 ppm morphine, CFR Hamburg

USD 3.35 /kg

Trade sources

Exports rise by almost 30%

Despite fewer enquiries on the spot market, the export volume continues to grow compared to last year. By the end of March, 15,358 metric tonnes of poppy seeds had been shipped overseas from the Czech Republic. Russia is by far the most important customer for Czech poppy seeds this season, followed by Austria and Poland. Slovakia and Germany also increased their imports by 10.6% and 18.3% respectively.

Poppy seed exports* Czech Republic, in mt

Country

2018/19

2019/20

Diff.

Russia

2,529

4,360

72.4%

Austria

3,001

3,717

23.9%

Poland

1,486

1,687

13.5%

Slovakia

1,227

1,357

10.6%

Germany

1,057

1,251

18.3%

Hungary

316

738

133.0%

Netherlands

437

629

43.8%

India

0

413

-

Romania

274

302

10.1%

Ukraine

579

266

-54.1%

Others

1.023

639

-37.5%

Total

11,930

15,358

28.7%

Source: Czech Statistical Office / Aug-Mar

View more information
price chart, blue poppy seeds, Czech Republic
price chart, blue poppy seeds, Turkey
more price charts

Attached Files

File icon
price chart blue poppy seeds, Czech Republic
File icon
price chart blue poppy seeds, Turkey

View related articles

Go to the News Overview
Grains
Nov 1, 2024
BRUSSELS. Russia’s failed attempt to drive up wheat prices has slowed shipments. Ukraine’s corn exports are 18% up. Rain has prompted sowing to gain pace for soybeans in Brazil and Argentina. Rumour has it that China will slash retaliatory tariffs on Canada's canola.
Oilseeds
Oct 31, 2024
OTTAWA. Although the Canadian flaxseed crop is smaller than in recent years, market players are currently reporting high demand from China. The EU could also be an interesting sales market this season if the export potential was not limited.
Oilseeds
Oct 31, 2024
OTTAWA. The Canadian mustard seed harvest has so far resulted in lower yields than initially hoped for, but the crop result remains significantly better than in previous years.
Oilseeds
Oct 30, 2024
SOFIA/DALIAN. Disappointing crops in the European sunflower seed market are driving some suppliers to take drastic measures. In the Chinese market, however, the new crop is causing prices to fall.