August 1, 2014

Germany may see larger rapeseed harvest in 2014

While the quality of Germany's wheat for the 2014 harvest is threatened by continuous rainfall, the country may see a larger gathering of rapeseed crop, according to a report by German farmers' association, DBV.

Germany is the EU's second largest wheat producer and exporter after France. For many years, it is also the bloc's largest producer of rapeseed, Europe's most important oilseed for edible oil and biodiesel production.

German farmers are likely to harvest 5.8 million tonnes of winter rapeseed in 2014, up from 5.7 million tonnes in 2013, the DBV said. This was up from 5.7 million tonnes which the association forecast on July 7 for this year's winter rapeseed crop.

German rapeseed and wheat harvesting is currently underway but is being repeatedly interrupted by rain, the report went on.

"It is only in consistently dry weather conditions that winter wheat can be harvested quickly and above all, with the quality hoped for," the association said.

Repeated rain in Germany in the last week has made grain too wet to harvest and some farmers will have to undertake costly drying of their newly harvested grain to prevent quality loss, the association said.

Rain has knocked grain over in some areas, threatening loss of both quality and crop size.

In north German areas, important production areas for wheat exports, weather has been drier and crops appear in better condition.

About two-thirds of Germany's rapeseed has now been harvested, the association said.

Farmers are achieving rapeseed yields of around 4.1 tonnes a hectare. Last year's yields averaged around 3.9 tonnes.

Wheat yields vary greatly in the areas harvested so far, the association said.