EU: Barley crop forecast to increase to 56.1 mln tonnes in 2024

In its first forecast for the 2024 season, COCERAL, a European association that focuses on agricultural trade, projected the total grain crop in the EU-27+UK at 281.7 million tonnes, down from the 287.1 million tonnes harvested in 2023.

Wheat production (excluding durum) is expected to fall to 134.2 million tonnes, down from 139.5 million tonnes this year.

The association noted that record rainfall in recent weeks had a negative impact on winter cereal sowing (wheat/winter barley) in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Baltics and Poland. However, Spain is expected to see a substantial increase in production compared to 2023, it said.

EU-27+UK 2024 barley production is forecast at 56.1 million tonnes, up from 54.1 million tonnes this year. Denmark, Finland, and Spain are expected to have better barley crops than in 2023, COCERAL said.

COCERAL’s preliminary projection for EU-27+UK corn production in 2024 is 57.1 million tonnes, down from 61.6 million tonnes in 2023.

The EU-27+UK rapeseed crop is forecast at 11.3 million tonnes, significantly higher than the previous projection of 7.5 million tonnes.

E-malt.com, the global information source for the brewing and malting industry professionals. The bi-weekly E-malt.com Newsletters feature latest industry news, statistics in graphs and tables, world barley and malt prices, and other relevant information. Click here to get full access to E-malt.com. If you are a Castle Malting client, you can get free access to E-malt.com website and publications. Contact us for more information at marketing@castlemalting.com .