August 6, 2004

Czech 2004 Grain Harvest Seen Up 32.9% On Year At 6.99 Million MT

The July estimate for the 2004 Czech grain harvest is 6.994 million metric tons, up 32.9% from 5.621 million metric tons harvested in 2003, according to Czech Statistics Office, or CSU, data released Thursday.
 
The estimates are the second for the year and based on data from a sample of the country's total harvest acreage.
 
The previous estimate put the grain harvest at 6.934 million tons.
 
The CSU attributed the expected harvest increase to higher sown area and higher crop yield.
 
In July, the estimated grain crop yield per hectare is expected to total 4.62 tons in 2004, up from the June estimate of 4.58 tons/ha. The yield was at 3.86 tons/ha last year.
 
Last year, the total harvest fell 15.9% on year in part due to an exceptionally dry summer.