DRV corrects German rapeseed harvest - lack of rainfall, frost and insect damage The German Raiffeisenverband (DRV) is revising its rapeseed harvest forecast downwards due to the recent unfavorable growth conditions. Compared to the previous month's estimate, production of 3.34 million tonnes is now assumed. Compared to the weak previous year, this result is still an increase of + 18.4%. The basis for the estimate is the acreage as determined by the Federal Statistical Office in December 2019 and the yield assumptions of the DRV. The nationwide rapeseed area was increased by 11.7% to 952,700 ha in the current year, but is still significantly below the previous acreage well above the 1 million ha mark. The DRV puts the slightly reduced yield assumptions at 35.1 dt / ha or + 6.1% above the weak previous year. The results vary widely between the individual federal states.Lower production of -3.3% is expected in Schleswig-Holstein . In contrast, an increase of around is for Hesse. 70% estimated. The reasons for the differences mainly lie in the changed acreage. In addition to Hesse, the states of Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt each have 56% of the countries with far above-average production increases . In all cases, the causes are, in addition to disproportionate increases in the acreage, higher yield assumptions compared to the critical previous year. Strikingly high growth in production of almost 37% is also expected for Thuringia , which is based on two-thirds of the area. In a medium range of crop increases, Bavaria can be classified with almost 20%, Rhineland-Palatinate with 15%, North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony with around 10% each.All yield assumptions should be interpreted with due caution in light of past and future weather developments. The night frosts in the past few weeks could have caused damage to an extent that could not yet be quantified. The rape, which is currently in bloom almost everywhere, is highly susceptible to insect pests . The risks of the grain formation phase and harvesting conditions remain open .
