PARIS: French soft wheat shipments outside the European Union in October reached their highest monthly level for the season, buoyed by a record volume of exports to China, an initial estimate based on Refinitiv data showed.

Soft wheat exports to destinations outside the EU totalled 703,000 tonnes in October, the fourth month of the 2020/21 season, the Refinitiv loading data showed.

That was a significant increase compared to the volume exported in September, which was near a record low.

China was the largest importer of French soft wheat outside the EU in October, accounting for 524,000 tonnes.

That was the largest monthly volume for soft wheat shipments to China in Refinitiv records going back to the 2009/10 season.

Including feed barley and malting barley, a total of 638,000 tonnes of grains was shipped to China from France last month. That was just shy of a previous high of 658,000 tonnes in July 2015, made up entirely of barley.

Cuba was the second largest importer of French soft wheat, accounting for 68,000 tonnes during October.

Algeria, usually the biggest market for French soft wheat, received only one small cargo of 6,600 tonnes in October, after getting none in September.

Farm office FranceAgriMer last month raised its 2020/21 forecast for French soft wheat exports outside the EU due to October's upturn in shipments along with more competitive French prices, although it still expects exports to be less than half last season's record volume following a small French harvest.

October barley exports included 59,000 tonnes of feed barley - all to China - and 103,000 tonnes of malting barley, the most for an October since the 2015/16 season, the data showed.

Total grain shipments by sea to all destinations from French ports - also including maize, waxy maize and durum wheat - reached 1.15 million tonnes in October, below last year's volume of 1.61 million tonnes.

The Refinitiv data, based on shipping data from various sources, can be revised subsequently.