July 12, 2012

Italy's 2012 wheat output up on increased plantings

Buoyed by increased plantings, Italy's wheat output this year has risen, data from Italy's Agriculture Ministry and state statistics agency ISTAT showed on Wednesday (July 11).

Soft wheat output is seen at 3.40 million tonnes in 2012, driven higher by 39% spike in planted area to 615,751 hectares and a 12% rise in yields to 5.52 tonnes per hectare, the Agriculture Ministry data showed.

The ministry did not give a comparative figure for 2011 soft wheat crop which stood at 2.85 million tonnes, according to ISTAT.

Output of durum wheat used for making pasta is estimated at 4.18 million tonnes this year, after a 23% increase in planted area to 1.30 million hectares and a 6% fall in yields to 3.21 tonnes per hectare, the ministry said.

Italy produced 3.86 million tonnes of durum wheat last year, the ISTAT data showed.