May 5, 2011

German grain damaged by dry weather

The prolonged period of dry weather in Germany has started to damage Germany's grain and rapeseed crops, German farming association DBV said on Wednesday (May 4).

Rapeseed had suffered from a very cold winter followed by dry weather in April.

"The expectations for the coming rapeseed and grains crop have received a setback in many parts of Germany," DBV said, "The dryness in past weeks has damaged plant development."

DBV confirms the suspicion of traders and analysts that dryness has now damaged crops. German weather services say only 38% of average monthly rain fell in April.

Wheat and barley urgently needed rain, DBV said. Sufficient rain was needed in May to enable wheat plants to recover but adequate volumes are not currently forecast.

"Against this background, the German farmers fear there will only be an average grain harvest," said DBV.

Analysts had said that key north German wheat export regions have not received significant rain since early April, although crops in central and south Germany were relieved by rain last week.

Showers were forecast for north and east Germany. Rain was less than previously forecast and passing over the driest wheat areas quickly, weather forecasters said. Light frost was forecast followed by very dry and hot weather throughout Germany.

Rapeseed was the crop with the greatest damage, DBV said. In the important northern production regions of Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, rapeseed yields were likely to fall around 30-40% on the year, it said. Light frosts experienced since the weekend in parts of Germany could damage recently-sown corn plants.

Germany's 2011 grain crop of all types is likely to fall to 44.1 million tonnes from the 44.2 million tonnes harvest in 2010 which was already damaged by rain, Germany's farm cooperatives association said. This year's rapeseed crop is forecast to fall to 5.2 million tonnes from 5.73 million tonnes in 2010.