ROUEN, FRANCE — Grain exports from HAROPA, Port of Rouen totaled 7.61 million tonnes for the 2014-15 season, an increase of 2.4% compared to the 2013-14 season and 14% compared to the 2012-13 season.

This is the second best total in the past 15 years of export.

The bad weather conditions of summer 2014 have had an impact on the lower quality of the crop in a large part of Rouen, France, and led to an expected disappointing season; the high proportion of feed wheat did not actually meet the requirements of Port of Rouen’s traditional milling markets.

But the port had good results, due to the quick adaptation of the storage organizations, exporters and port silos to the situation and the drop of sea freight rates and the Euro exchange rate.

 
“It’s worth noting the strong competition linked to a very favorable situation in terms of grain quality on the Atlantic coast and in the North of France,” port officials said.

The 2014-15 season was an atypical season for Rouen for several reasons. The barley traffic (1.85 million tonnes) is the highest since the 1998-99 season; 80% of this tonnage is made of malt and feed barley shipments to China.

Port officials noted many diverse destinations especially in regard to feed wheat shipments.
Also note that the South East Asia destinations (Philippines, Bangladesh, Thailand and South Korea) totaled 860,000 tonnes, which is a major first for Rouen. Mexico and the U.S. are among the unusual destinations this year.

A high number of Panamax and Overpanamax vessels, 69 in total, called at Rouen grain terminals. This record proves the ability of the silos to process these type of vessels and reinforces HAROPA, Port of Rouen in its draught improvement program, officials said.

In the 2014-15 season, Rouen is continuing with work to improve the access channel,  investments which improve Rouen silos competitiveness and construction of the new port silo by the Beuzelin company.

This season marks the fourth consecutive rise in shipments from HAROPA, Port of Rouen and strengthens its position as a major grain hub in France and in Europe, even in a complicated season.

In addition to these bulk loadings from Rouen silos, the HAROPA port complex also allows loadings from the grain terminals in Limay, France and Bonnières-sur-Seine, France on board river-maritime units. The fluvial terminals’ network of HAROPA, Port of Paris allows the loading of grain containers which will then be loaded on board ocean-going vessels in the ports of Rouen and Le Havre.