Consultancy Strategie Grains has cut its forecast for European Union soft wheat production in 2024, with output still expected to be 2.5% lower than last year due to the disruption of the planting campaign by rainfall.
Strategie Grains forecast EU soft wheat production, the bloc’s main crop, at 122.6 million metric tons, down from 122.7 million projected in January and 2.5% below last year’s crop of 125.8 million tons.
“Excessive fall rains, already hampering planting operations, are still a concern in terms of impact on yield potential,” Stategie Grains said of soft wheat in its monthly EU grains report, Reuters reported
The consultancy cut its forecast for EU barley production this year to 53.1 million tons from last month’s forecast of 53.4 million tons, still 12% above last year’s drought-affected level.
The EU corn crop forecast was raised to 64.0 million tons from 63.6 million tons last month, up 4.6% from last year.
EU farmers are expected to increase sowing of spring barley and maize after rain prevented some growers from completing sowing winter cereals such as wheat.
Excess moisture has also hampered early spring barley sowing in France and Spain, although there have been no major problems so far at EU level, Strategie Grains reported.
Source: UkrAgroConsult