Agricultural commodity prices are experiencing notable fluctuations, with OSR rising, as wheat and barley markets react to both local and global factors.

OSR prices have risen by £40/t on the back of oil prices to £385/t plus bonuses ex-farm for November. However, if the trade agreement between Canada and China falters then Canadian canola could flood the EU market.

Local market wheat price is £196/t ex-farm, down £10 last week due to volatility in the middle east. New crop wheat for November 2025 is priced at £200/t, with English wheat £15 cheaper and EU wheat from Poland and Russia set to compete for market share.

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There is a carry-over of 2m/t million from the 2022 and 2023 harvests that England is anticipated to require. However, winter wheat plantings are lagging, with Yorkshire at 40% and Oxford at just 10%.

On the continent, Russian wheat is pouring into Turkey, with Russia planning to stop exporting through third parties and trade government to government to gain greater market control.

Feed barley is sitting at £161/t for November and the UK is limited in export to southern Spain due to lower European prices. Maltsters have brought significant carry over from 2023 and this year’s low nitrogen levels mean this grain is not fit for brewing.

Milling oats, that were at £260/t spot in June, have dropped to between £150-160/t at present due to increased Scandinavian imports. With next years contracts at a premium over wheat.

Wheat imports have begun the marketing year strongly, driven by the projections of a decline in domestic wheat production, as indicated by recent data from England and the UK.

In the UK, lower domestic cereal production is likely to continue to spur above-average grain imports. Notably, whole and flaked maize for GB compound animal feed usage saw a 23% increase in July and August compared to the previous year, marking the largest rise among all feed types.

This suggests that maize is becoming increasingly competitive in feed rations, which tend to remain consistent throughout the livestock's life stages for monogastric animals.