End of season UK cereal supply and demand: September 2026

22 September 2026

Introduction

1. This release covers the end of season official estimates made of UK cereal supply and demand for the 2025/26 season (July – June).
2. Residuals have been identified for the 2025/26 wheat and maize balance sheets. This is after the full season official statistics have been taken into account.
3. The data can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.
4. The main revisions from May’s estimates and comparisons with the 2024/25 season are summarised below.

Wheat

5. Trade – In 2025/26, 2.615 Mt of wheat was imported, down 453 Kt on the previous year but 365 Kt higher than May’s estimate due to strong late season imports to the North of England and Northern Ireland. Full season exports totalled 142 Kt, down from 199 Kt in 2024/25, and 18 Kt lower than May’s estimate.
6. Availability – Total availability for 2025/26 stood at 16.553 Mt, up 365 Kt from the previous estimate but still below the 16.974 Mt in 2024/25. Slightly higher production, albeit still low, did not offset lower opening stocks and imports.
7. Usage – Total domestic consumption was down 158 Kt on the previous year at 14.103 Mt. Human and industrial demand was lower year-on-year despite the restart of bioethanol production late in the season, while feed consumption is higher.
8. Closing stocks – Commercial end of season stocks stand at 1.514 Mt. This is 405 Kt lower than May’s figure, 466 Kt smaller than in 2024/25 and the lowest since 2020/21 with surveys showing lower stocks on farm and with merchants, ports and co-ops. 

Barley

9. Trade – Exports stood at 479 Kt for the 2025/26 season. This is down 227 Kt year on year, and 29 Kt more than May’s estimate. Imports for the full season stood at 213 Kt, 23 Kt larger than May’s estimate and 20 Kt lower than the previous year.
10. Availability – Barley availability for 2025/26 was estimated at 7.859 Mt, 628 Kt below 2024/25 figures due to lower production.
11. Usage – Barley usage for 2025/26 totalled 6.040 Mt, down from 6.505 Mt in 2024/25. This is 79 Kt lower than May due to a reduction in animal feed consumption. The downward trend in human and industrial consumption has continued, with figures 19% lower than 2024/25.
12. Closing stocks – Barley closing stocks for 2024/25 are estimated at 1.337 Mt, down 70 Kt from May’s estimate, but 58 Kt higher than year earlier levels.

Maize

13. Trade – Maize imports stood at 2.395 Mt in 2025/26, up 205 Kt on May’s estimate but 708 Kt lower than 2024/25 levels and back to historically typical levels. Full season exports were 200 Kt, 10 Kt higher than May and 19 Kt higher than 2024/25.
14. Availability – Maize availability for 2024/25 totalled 2.592 Mt, up 205 Kt from May’s estimate and 712 Kt year on year.
15. Usage – Full season domestic consumption of maize is estimated at 2.072 Mt, up 46 Kt from May’s estimate, and 651 Kt lower than the previous year’s levels.
16. Closing stocks – Maize end of season stocks stand at 198 Kt, just 2 Kt higher year-on-year and 28 Kt more than estimated in May.

Oats

17. Trade – Exports of oats reached 93 Kt in 2025/26, 3 Kt higher than estimated in May, and 30 Kt more than in 2024/25. Imports of oats were 5 Kt higher than 2024/25 figures at 19 Kt, up 4 Kt from May’s estimate.
18. Availability – Total availability of oats in 2025/26 was 1.122 Mt, similar to May’s estimate and up 28 Kt on the year.
19. Usage – Full season usage of oats stood at 875 Kt; this is down 67 Kt from May’s estimate and 15 Kt on 2024/25. Stronger milling demand year-on-year mostly offset a decline in animal feed consumption.
20. Closing stocks – End of season stocks for 2025/26 stand at 155 Kt, up 68 Kt from May’s estimate and 14 Kt up on the previous year.

Download the data, including the latest UK cereal supply and demand estimates (Appendix I) and cumulative monthly usage statistics (Appendix II), below.

Appendix II shows cumulative usage and trade data to end-June.