BMEL: German cereal harvest 44, 7 million t or -3.3% below 5-year average - mixed results The Federal Ministry of Agriculture (BMEL) has extrapolated the German grain harvest to 44.7 million tonnes on the basis of threshing results. Compared to the catastrophic previous year, although an increase of just under +18% comes out, but such a comparison has little informative value. Compared to the multi-year average of 2013-2018 , this year's result remains below average at -3.3% . The result comes about due to acreage expansion of 0.8%, but a return that is at -4.1% below the five-year average. The background is inadequate rainfall , but they are regionally very different.The worst losses in area yields were found in Saxony-Anhalt with -18.4% and Brandenburg with -15% . Also in Thuringia with -8.9% and Saxony with -5.1% are noticeable significant impacts due to lack of rainfall. In contrast, in southeastern locations such as Rhineland-Palatinate (+4.9%), Hesse (+2.3%) and Schleswig-Holstein ( +2.8%), excessively high yields per hectare were determined. In the remaining areas, the results are predominantly in the narrow average range . The individual cereals have survived the year differently. The wheat yielded -5.5% lower yields. The main reason is seen in the ripening time during the heatwave in June. On the other hand, winter barley averaged slightly above-average yields at +1.4% .This fruit had completed its grain formation phase mainly before the heat wave . Even the spring barley barely delivered above average. Rye and triticale are often found in poorly hydrated locations. As a result, yields were particularly disappointing in this dry year, at -6.1% and -2.3%, respectively . With oats down by 7.1% , oats suffered a major setback. Grain maize, which is still growing, is expected to bring -6.8% lower yields per hectare, according to current estimates. In precipitation-poor areas , the decline is likely to be even stronger, but in favorable locations an above-average harvest is expected. Overall, a below-average total harvest comes out, but has turned out very different depending on the location. Decisive were the heat wave in June and the regionally different precipitation conditions.
