EU: France, once again, was the most barley favoured country

In only two weeks from mid March French farmers could plant their spring barley, and they finished field works just before the rains started. Of course, late March planting is later than ideal, but a good season can still produce an excellent crop. Estimates of the spring barley acreage are not yet available from the Ministry or the ONIC, private estimates show a wide range of 500 to 550.000 Ha.

The U.K. had a very early start of spring barley seeding, which, however, remained restricted to the South and Southeast of the country. Rains stopped field works in Northern England and Scotland. In Germany spring barley has been planted in the flat lands around the Rhine and Main rivers, no more than 10 to 15 % of the total acreage have been seeded.

In a large region from Eastern Bavaria through Austria, the Czech Republic, Southern Poland to Slovakia masses of snow had fallen in late winter. As the snow is melting now, river valleys are badly flooded, and field work is not possible yet. Planting time in Scandinavia hardly ever started before April, and it is the same again this year.