Heat takes its toll on EU yields
Some rainfall has arrived in parts of the EU, but the results of the hot weather are beginning to become available.
Reports indicate the Swedish and Finnish grain crops may be up to 30% down.
Yield estimates are below 3t/ha, the lowest level in a decade.
The Spanish agriculture ministry has revised its wheat crop estimate to 5.6m tonnes (previous estimate 6.2m tonnes) because of the drought, although this is still well above the drought-affected 3.8m tonnes produced last year.
The French wheat harvest is now over 70% complete, with anecdotal reports from some regions that yields are better than expected, and higher than last year.
Some 25% of the wheat crop has been cut in Germany, and the winter barley harvest is nearly complete.
Strategie Grains reports that wheat yields so far are about 10% lower than last year.
In Hungary, 3.7m tonnes of wheat has been cut from over 80% of the total area.
Wheat yields are reportedly improving as the harvest progresses, and are currently about 4.2t/ha.
Winter barley yields are about 2% lower than last year.
Bulgaria’s wheat yields are up to 15% higher this year, with 80% cut, however protein levels are reportedly below average.
Poland’s grain crop is up to 7% lower following the recent hot and dry weather, according to the Central Statistics Office, despite a 2.5% larger planted area.
In the UK, 75% of the winter barley, 40% of the rapeseed and about 1.5% of the wheat has been harvested.
Barley yields are reportedly higher than normal, according to ADAS.
Wheat yields and quality so far have varied widely between light and heavy land.
