MARS: Yields in 2019: improved prospects in the south - reduced expectations in the north The EU's Agricultural Meteorological Institute (MARS) estimates an improvement in the average crop yields in the EU from + 1 April to 14 May 2019 based on the climate data analysis 0.7% compared to the previous month's report . Measured against the 5-year average, the results should be +1.2% higher. Wheat and barley are expected to grow by +2% , corn even by +4%, but rye should remain below average at -1.1%. The rye locations are particularly disadvantaged in terms of rainfall. MARS again estimates rapeseed yields -1,9% worse than in the previous month. Compared to the 5-year average, -3.3% is expected. However, the growth conditions in the EU regions are very differently distributed.Overall, it can be assumed that better conditions have prevailed in the southern regions due to above-average rainfall . Especially the south relies on sufficient rainfall in view of the previous year's deficits. However, the comparatively low temperatures leave much to be desired, especially in Italy and some Southeastern European countries. In contrast, the northern areas along the North Sea and Baltic Sea coasts suffer from precipitation deficits . The lack of rainfall is particularly strong after the dry previous year . These include North and East Germany, large parts of Poland and the overwhelming majority of the Baltic States. Except for the outskirts in the west south and east , an unusual cold period was found in the remaining regions. The temperatures remained significantly below the long-term average values and delivered again and again degrees of frost.The Italian Po plain and former Yugoslavia regions along the Adriatic Sea received unusually heavy rainfall. The weather forecasts until the end of May are 3 degrees colder than normal in the south, for example in Italy, Western Balkans and northern Spain. By contrast, temperatures in the northwest, central north, Scandinavia and in southern Spain should fall -4 degrees below normal. The weather forecasts for precipitation continue to see little rain in the northern regions of Europe, southern Spain and less than 5 mm of precipitation in southern England, Benelux and the Black Sea regions. By contrast, high rainfall of more than 20 mm is expected in central and southeastern Europe . Northern Italy should receive more than 60 mm of precipitation. For the next 3 months from June to August , above-average temperatures are expected in Central and Eastern Europe.Above-average precipitation is expected to fall in the eastern Mediterranean.
