EU: Spring barley production forecast to decline this season

Spring barley production has been forecast to decline this season, according to the latest European MARS Bulletin, which monitors crops in Europe, the Irish Farmers Journal reported on July 30.

The report has forecast that yields for most crops will remain at or slightly above the five-year average. However, spring barley and sunflowers are taking a hit.

“Drier-than-usual conditions that occurred for more than one month in large parts of western, central and northern Europe, as well as in eastern Romania” are the main cause of the decline in forecast yields.

This is because soil water levels were affected and high temperatures hit crops, caused stress and reduced yields.

The report stated that parts of the Iberian Peninsula and northern Italy experienced intense heatwaves “which triggered a risk of heat-induced sterility for flowering summer crops, with potentially irreversible impacts on yields”.

Similar to Ireland, rainfall surplus has delayed harvesting in some countries such as Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, Croatia and Hungary.

Looking at the yield forecast in the report when compared with the five-year average, spring barley is taking the biggest hit.

Spring barley yields are forecast to decline by 14% compared with the five-year average in the report.

Winter barley yields are forecast to increase by 2%. This means that overall total barley yields are forecast to decline by 3%.

Sunflower yields are also forecast to decline by 5%.

Grain maize yields are forecast to be up by 1%. Rapeseed yields are expected to be higher than normal in big agricultural producing countries such as France, Germany and Poland.

Potato yields are forecast to be up by 1% across the EU.

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