May 22, 2012

Italy's wheat harvest seen up 17.5%

Due to a considerable increase in planted areas, Italy's soft wheat output is expected to jump 17.5%, while corn output is seen flat on 2011, Italy's farm research centre ISMEA said on Monday (May 21).

Soft wheat plantings have risen 17% to 620,000 hectares and yields improved slightly, ISMEA said in a statement without providing an absolute figure for production.

Corn plantings are estimated to have risen by 4% from last year but the new crop, due in September, is expected to be little changed from last year, ISMEA said.

Output of durum wheat, used for making pasta, is expected to rise by 9% due to a 13.5% increase in plantings which more than offset a 4% fall in yields per hectare, it said.

Barley output is seen rising 9.5% due to a similar size increase in plantings, it said.

Italy produced 2.85 million tonnes of soft wheat, 9.79 million tonnes of corn and 3.86 million tonnes of durum wheat in 2011, according to the state statistics agency ISTAT.