July 23, 2008

EU '08 grain crop seen at 290 million tonnes, up 13.7 percent on-year

European Union grain output in 2008 will total 290 million tonnes, up 13.7 percent on the year, according to estimates released by Hamburg-based grain trading house Toepfer International in a monthly report Tuesday (July 22).

This is up from provisional forecasts made by Toepfer in late January of between 277 million and 282 million tonnes.

"Crops are expected to be well above average in quite a few regions of the EU," Toepfer said on the 2008 crop.

At close to 59 million hectares, total EU grain acreage is the largest over the past five years, the report said.

"A very mild winter without any appreciable winterkill, average to above-average rainfall in the months of March, April and May and furthermore the dry conditions during the ripening process make a record wheat and winter barley crop appear likely," it said.

EU soft wheat production was projected at 131.4 million tonnes, up 17.7 percent on the year.

The durum crop was estimated at 9.2 million tonnes, barley at 61.6 million tonnes and corn at 56.6 million tonnes; up 20.8 percent, 6.9 percent and 19.2 percent respectively from 2007.

Due to significantly improved growing conditions in Hungary, Toepfer said corn output there could double to 8.2 million tonnes.

Toepfer estimated EU 2008 oilseed production at 25.4 million tonnes, up 5.9 percent from last season.