COCERAL cuts 2020 EU harvest estimate with a focus on France and Great Britain In its latest edition, the European umbrella association of grain and oilseed traders (COCERAL) cuts the 2020 EU grain harvest to just 301.7 million tonnes. Compared to the previous year, the result would be approx. 2% lower. The wheat harvest is expected to fall by 10 million t less to 135.4 million t. Decisive are a reduced acreage and the expectation of a reduced yield. The focus of the corrections is on Great Britain and France; in both cases, the sowing conditions in autumn were very unfavorable. The EU barley harvest is rated 1.2% lower. Despite a slightly increased acreage, COCERAL expects a lower area yield compared to the previous year. The decline is particularly pronounced in France , while an increase over the previous year is expected in Spain .A largely unchanged result is predicted for Germany . Due to the increased acreage and higher yield expectations, the rye harvest should return to approx. 8.6 million t increase; in the previous year only 8.2 million t were achieved. The decisive factor is the higher German rye harvest to over 3.6 million t. In contrast, the triticale harvest is said to be lower. The decisive factor is the smaller acreage with almost the same expected yield. COCERAL estimates the K. maize harvest at 65.5 million t compared to just 61 million t in the previous year. This is due to a higher acreage because the winter seeds could not be sown in the usual scope. The area yield should be slightly above the previous year's level. The COCERAL forecast is in an estimation error range of 3 to 5%. Finally, there are a number of risks to be overcome. The grain formation phase in May and June will be crucial. The harvesting conditions will also have a strong impact.
