The warm and dry weather over the past month has contributed to rapid progress in corn sowing in many regions of Europe. Now enough rainfall is necessary for a good start. After the slow start in France due to the cold rainy weather, as of May 14, 86% of the areas were ordered. Compared to the previous season, however, there is still a backlog, because at the same time last year were already 97% of the planned space ordered. On the positive side, winter precipitation has been able to replenish groundwater supplies, with the option of irrigation.
France's Ministry of Agriculture expects grain maize production to be at the low level of the previous year. That would be 12% below the average of the last 5 years.
Relatively low corn acreage in France and Italy could slow down the entire EU corn production this year. However, Grain's strategy currently predicts a 3% increase in production to 60.9 million tonnes. This is supported by an expected recovery of Spanish corn production following the drought last year.
The current dry and hot weather in Central and Eastern Europe could limit corn yields in Hungary and Romania. Even in Germany, the dry weather is problematic. Unfavorable conditions for winter grain and summer cereal crops have led to larger acreage on maize, but plants are drought-prone in some regions, which could result in lower yields. The acreage for grain maize in Germany rose by 7.4% to 463,000 hectares, according to the Federal Statistical Office. The DRV, on the other hand, expects a decline of 2.6% to 4.3 million tonnes.
In Poland, too, weather problems during cereal sowing caused more corn acreage than originally planned. It rose to over 700,000 hectares (previous year: 600,000 hectares). With average yields, Polish grain maize production could increase by 12% to 4.7 million hectares. In general, the weather conditions during sowing were optimal, only in some regions it was too dry.
