The Cereals Management Committee yesterday voted on a European Commission proposal to change the rules for the eligibility of maize for intervention.

Since EU enlargement, the maize market has become unbalanced and intervention stocks are piling up (5.1 million tonnes at the moment).

Maize grains tend to degrade more rapidly when stored than other grains. To make sure that maize offered to intervention is suitable for long-term public storage, an adjustment of the current quality criteria for maize buying-in is required.

Therefore the Commission proposed to upgrade some of the quality standards for intervention: the maximum moisture content as well as the maximum percentage of broken grains and grains overheated during drying will be reduced and a specific maximum weight will be introduced.

The proposal still has to be formally adopted by the Commission. The revised criteria will apply from the opening of intervention in November.