Source: Ukragroconsult (Ukraine)
Estimates for this year’s grain harvest in the European Union continue to fall due to the weather conditions that have affected harvests in France and Germany.
This was reported by the analyst firm Stratégie Grains, citing the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).
Soft wheat production in the EU-27 is now expected to be only 116.50 million tons, 5.8 million tons less than in the previous forecast, and the smallest harvest since 2018 (114.8 million tons). Experts also predict problems with the quality of the harvested grain.
It should be noted that the French government recently lowered its estimate of the country’s soft wheat harvest by 3.3 million tons to 26.3 million tons. This is 25% less than last year and the smallest harvest since 1987.
At the same time, the harvest in Germany has been delayed by rainfall. The Federal Statistical Office has published its first estimate for the 2024 wheat harvest at 19.7 million tons, down from 21.5 million tons last year and the lowest level since 2003.
Stratégie Grains’ latest estimate for the barley harvest in the EU-27 is 50.6 million tons, which is still above the 2023 minimum harvest, although it is now below the five-year average.
Maize production in the EU is also estimated at around 60 million tons, which is also below last year’s harvest.
