The heavy rainfall and late frost hinder the field work and could result in a smaller summer barley area in the European Union.
Spring barley is one of the first grains to be sown after the end of winter. It is mainly used for beer production.
Long-lasting autumn rainfall has resulted in less winter crops being sown in northern Europe. The areas were then rededicated in favor of summer crops.
The muddy soils and another cold front last weekend have limited the sowing activities. Now it is expected that later crops like corn will benefit.
The agricultural consultancy FranceAgriMer reports that the progress of sowing for spring barley is slightly behind that of last year. Some farmers report that saturated soils are 50% above average in winter after nationwide rainfall. The window of opportunity for optimal barley sowing is shrinking and the upcoming frosts, even if they are short-lived, bring further restrictions, says Remi Haquin, farmer and chairman of the FranceAgriMer Grains Committee.
In Great Britain, snow and frost also brought barley sowing to a virtual standstill. It is now expected that the time delay is one month. There is still time for a recovery, but it is less ideal. However, according to a survey by the Ministry of Agriculture and Horticulture, summer barley acreage in the UK is up 7% to 804,000 hectares.
In Germany, the wet soils and the cold spell also cause worries. However, analyzes continue to expect a sharp increase in acreage for summer cereals. In many parts of the country, sowing is in progress. The time delay of a few days is unproblematic so far, although every day counts in the short harvest time of summer crops.
The German Raiffeisenverband estimates the spring barley sowing area at 381,000 hectares. That would be an increase of 12.4% on the previous year.
The spring barley sowing in Poland has not started yet. Wojtek Sabaranski from Sparks Polska estimates the acreage at 800,000 hectares (previous year: 720,000 hectares).
Spring barley is one of the first grains to be sown after the end of winter. It is mainly used for beer production.
Long-lasting autumn rainfall has resulted in less winter crops being sown in northern Europe. The areas were then rededicated in favor of summer crops.
The muddy soils and another cold front last weekend have limited the sowing activities. Now it is expected that later crops like corn will benefit.
The agricultural consultancy FranceAgriMer reports that the progress of sowing for spring barley is slightly behind that of last year. Some farmers report that saturated soils are 50% above average in winter after nationwide rainfall. The window of opportunity for optimal barley sowing is shrinking and the upcoming frosts, even if they are short-lived, bring further restrictions, says Remi Haquin, farmer and chairman of the FranceAgriMer Grains Committee.
In Great Britain, snow and frost also brought barley sowing to a virtual standstill. It is now expected that the time delay is one month. There is still time for a recovery, but it is less ideal. However, according to a survey by the Ministry of Agriculture and Horticulture, summer barley acreage in the UK is up 7% to 804,000 hectares.
In Germany, the wet soils and the cold spell also cause worries. However, analyzes continue to expect a sharp increase in acreage for summer cereals. In many parts of the country, sowing is in progress. The time delay of a few days is unproblematic so far, although every day counts in the short harvest time of summer crops.
The German Raiffeisenverband estimates the spring barley sowing area at 381,000 hectares. That would be an increase of 12.4% on the previous year.
The spring barley sowing in Poland has not started yet. Wojtek Sabaranski from Sparks Polska estimates the acreage at 800,000 hectares (previous year: 720,000 hectares).
