August 14, 2012

The Czech Republic's total 2012 grain harvest's second estimate is 5.716 million tonnes, down 21% from the 2011 harvest of 7.206 million tonnes.

The estimate is based on data collected from local farmers in late July.

The annual drop in grain production follows an above-average harvest last year and is largely due to unfavourable weather conditions during the vegetation period.

The overall harvest will be 5.7% below the five-year average and "is probably going to be the lowest harvest since 2007," the Czech Statistics Office, or CSU said.

The estimated wheat grain crop yield is expected to total 4.43 tonnes a hectare this year, down from 5.69 tonnes a hectare in 2011.

Rye yields are expected to be 4.36 tonnes a hectare, down from last year's 4.74 tonnes a hectare.

The estimated rapeseed crop yield is expected to total 2.67 tonnes a hectare this year, lower than the final rapeseed crop yield of 2.80 tonnes a hectare in 2011.