Czech's grain production expected to take a downturn 

The Czech grain harvest is expected to show an on-year decrease of 15% following heavy rains and flooding this spring, according to the Agrarian Chamber.

"The main fault is the high amount of water and even in areas that were not flooded, the crops are very water-logged and damaged," Jan Veleba, president of the chamber said.

Last year's grain harvest reached more than 7.73 million tonnes, down 7.5% from the previous year. The chamber's spokeswoman said grain prices could rise this year to slightly above CZK3,000 crowns (US$138) per tonne from an average CZK2,500 (US$92) last year.

Heavy rains and flooding in the past month in central and Eastern Europe, following a harsh winter, have cut chances of the region meeting last year's crop levels.