Thomas Deevy brings out the key regional challenges for Romania and the Balkans & Black Sea markets

“The 2018/19 marketing year proved to be challenging on many fronts, while most market participants cite lower production being the key price driver of 2018. I believe timing and availability were significant market drivers which were largely overlooked and resulted in lost opportunities for both consumers and producers.

As we move beyond the 2019 harvest, again market participants are focusing on an overall production recovery in the Balkan/Black Sea region and an apparent lack of consumer demand as the key price driver. If market participants, particularly consumers/traders, are working on the premise of “large balance sheets = equals small prices” then they once again are running the risk of becoming complacent.

At the 4th annual Grain Academy in Varna I will identify the short-term and long-term regional challenges in Romania which can been seen across the Balkans and discuss the key periods and issues which can drive price in 2019/20.”