By Rudy Ruitenberg
September 01, 2011 05:58 EDT
Grain loadings for export from the French port of Rouen, Europe’s biggest cereal-shipping hub, rose 11 percent in the week through Aug. 31, boosted by an increase in wheat shipments.
Outbound shipments were 177,811 metric tons between Aug. 25 and 31, compared with 160,781 tons a week earlier, the Seine River port said in an e-mailed report today. Cargoes included 164,152 tons of wheat and 13,659 tons of barley.
Algeria was the leading destination, taking 103,289 tons of wheat compared with 131,250 tons a week earlier, the port said. Shipments included 13,200 tons of wheat for Morocco, the first cargo of the grain to the country since the week ended June 1.
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:
Aug. 25-31 Wheat Algeria 103,289 Cuba 25,000 Morocco 13,200 Guinea 7,678 Italy 6,205 Spain 4,805 Sweden 3,975 Barley Morocco 6,300 Portugal 4,359 Netherlands 3,000
