By Rudy Ruitenberg
(Bloomberg) Grain loadings for export from the French port of Rouen, Europe’s biggest cereal-shipping hub, rose 38 percent in the seven days through yesterday as wheat shipments to Algeria climbed.
Outbound shipments were 104,278 metric tons between Sept. 15 and 21, climbing from 75,724 tons a week earlier, the Seine River port said in an e-mailed report today. Departing cargoes included 86,890 tons of wheat and 17,388 tons of barley.
Algeria, the biggest buyer of French grain, was the leading destination with 82,470 tons of wheat, up from 45,200 tons of the grain a week earlier, the port said.
Rouen accounted for 45 percent of France’s wheat exports in 2009-10, ahead of La Pallice on the Bay of Biscay, which shipped out 19 percent, according to data from national crops office FranceAgriMer.
Rouen grain loadings by destination, in tons:
Sept. 15-21 Wheat Algeria 82,470 Portugal 4,420 Barley Cyprus 10,000 Netherlands 4,088 Morocco 3,300
