Barley: Stocks
Why stored malting barley must stay alive
What this tab covers How much is left and how much is held. For minerals and energy: reserves, current output, years of supply and recycling for the top five countries. For farm commodities: production, ending stocks and stocks-to-use for the top five producers (USDA, October 2026). It also covers inventories and stockpiles.Top five producers: production and stocks (USDA, 2026/27)
| Country | Production | Share | Ending stocks | Stocks-to-use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | 52,150 | 32.6% | 5,883 | 11% |
| Russia | 19,500 | 12.2% | 1,212 | 6.4% |
| Australia | 17,100 | 10.7% | 2,111 | 13% |
| Canada | 10,000 | 6.2% | 1,015 | 10.1% |
| Turkey | 8,800 | 5.5% | 979 | 11.5% |
| World | 160,100 | 100% | 23,460 | 15% |
Stockholding and policy
India has a minimum support price for barley but no central buffer-stock norm, unlike wheat and rice. Saudi Arabia's GFSA holds state reserves of imported feed barley. World ending stocks were about 20.6 Mt in 2025/26, about 14% of use (USDA PSD).
Barley stores well when dried, so carry-over stocks smooth bad harvests. Stocks sit mainly on farms, at maltsters and with exporters, and with importing governments such as Saudi Arabia. Malting barley must keep its germination capacity, which makes long storage riskier and premiums seasonal. Feed barley competes closely with maize and wheat, so a shortage of one grain is usually eased by switching to another.