MARS: Downward revision of cereal yields in Europe.
In its Aug. 24 issue, the EU Commission's Agrometeorological Institute (MARS) published a reduction in EU area yields based on climate data. The results will be included in the upcoming EU COM harvest estimate.
Overall cereal yields have been downgraded by -3% compared to the previous month and are now -2% below the 5-year average.
The yields per hectare for wheat are estimated to be -3% lower in a year-on-year and multi-year comparison. This is due to the high humidity in the west and north-east of the EU. For France, a -15% drop in yield compared to the previous year is recorded. Belgium also recorded yield losses of -9 %. The Baltic countries have been particularly affected recently. Italy has also recorded a -9% drop in yields.
On the other hand, Spain and Portugal recorded increases in wheat yields of +18 to +20%. In Romania and Bulgaria, area yields rose by +11 to +12%. However, the previous year's harvests were extremely weak.
The EU average winter barley yields were reduced again compared to the previous month's estimate and remain -5% below the 5-year average. Here too, yields on the Iberian Peninsula stand out with increases of +13 to +19 %. In contrast, the results in France (-19 %), the Netherlands (-12 %) and Belgium (-8 %) fell significantly due to the wet conditions. Spring barley achieved above-average results.
Rye and triticale were cut by -1 % compared to the previous month, but remain +1 % above the multi-year average. The best results were again achieved in Spain and Portugal, where yields doubled compared to the disastrous previous year. In a multi-year comparison, however, respectable yields of +21 to +23 % still remain.
MARS estimates yield declines of -3 to -4 % for K. maize. Romania and Bulgaria have been hit hard, with drought-related yield losses of -13 to -18 % compared to the previous year. France (-11%), the Netherlands (-15%) and Belgium (-13%) are also expected to see significantly lower yields per hectare.
The EU rapeseed harvest is expected to be lower than in the previous month, at -3% down on the previous year. In Sweden and some Baltic states, however, good average yields are being achieved after the weak previous year. This also applies to the Iberian Peninsula. Surprisingly weak is the result for the 4th largest EU growing region, the Czech Republic, with a decline of -11%.
The area yields for Germany are classified in a range of + 4% (rye) to -8% (winter barley).
