ODESA: Flax seeds price formation has always been a difficult task. Difficulties with cleaning, a bigger or smaller percentage of impurities, different oil content, number of blackish or damaged seeds, intended use for animal or human consumption, visual appearance – all these factors make the product price range rather wide.
Evidently, this year the main suppliers from the Black Sea region, Russia and Kazakhstan, have reduced yields of flax and offers from these countries are limited. Ukraine also, traditionally for last years, has harvested under 15 thousand tons of flax seeds. Due to bad forecasts from Canada, demand from the EU for Black Sea flax is very high. We can watch a significant and rapid price increase against the background of limited production and farmers’ unwillingness to sell their stocks from the fields.
Moreover, such a situation in the market has brought an unprecedented wide range of prices. FCA offers for 98% purity varied this week from 800 $/T to 900 $/T. Both farmers and traders reconnoitre the ground now and test the buyers’ patience.