April 14, 2006

 

Strategie Grains keeps 2006/07 EU grain crop at 267 million tonnes

 

 

The European Union will harvest 266.9 million tonnes of grain in 2006/07, which is nearly unchanged from last month's forecast of 267 million tonnes, according to Strategie Grains, a monthly analytical report released Thursday (Apr 13).

 

This figure was still up 4 percent on the year, due to an improved yield outlook after dryness lowered 2005/06 results.

 

EU soft wheat production was revised down by just 220,000 tonnes from the March estimate to 120.3 million tonnes, which is up 5 percent from 2005/06 output.

 

Strategie Grains said reductions for Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Lithuania wheat crops were partly offset by increases for Spain and Latvia.

 

Barley output for 2006/07 was reduced by 160,000 tonnes on the month to 57.4 million tonnes, due to a lower spring barley area and yield in Germany, UK, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia. This was up 8 percent from the 2005/06 crop.

 

"A rise in estimated barley area in Spain was insufficient to offset these reductions," the report stated.

 

Meanwhile EU 2006/07 corn output was raised by 300,000 tonnes on the month to 49.8 million tonnes, which is up just 1 percent on the year.

 

Strategie Grains pinned the increase on an upward revision in planted corn area in France, Portugal, Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia.

 

 

CROP WEATHER

 

"The weather throughout March was very wet," said Strategie Grains, adding that there was too much rainfall in some central European locations leading to waterlogged soils.

 

"Following these rains, water reserves have increased significantly in France and on the Iberian Peninsula, where fears of another year of drought conditions have been assuaged," said the report.

 

The moisture has created substantial spring planting delays across Europe, especially for spring barley.