August 16, 2011

German grain harvest to decrease 8.3% on year

Germany's grain yield for this year is expected to decline 8.3% on year in contrast to the last forecast of a 6% decrease because cereal and rapeseed harvest were affected by dry weather during the early summer, according to the agricultural association, Deutsche Raiffeisenverband, (DRV) on Monday (Aug 15).

According to Dow Jones, DRV expects the 2011 grain harvest to be 40.3 million tonnes, down from the previous forecast of 41.2 million tonnes, and 44 million tonnes last year.

Together with dryness, torrential rains disrupted harvesting time and endangered the quality of the harvest constantly, the association said.

It is particularly concerned with the situation in the Northern and north-eastern region of Germany, where rain has brought harvesting to a standstill, adding to a significant loss to quality with an increase in the proportion of wheat feed in the fields, the association said.

The rapeseed harvest is expected to be around four million tonnes, compared with the previous expectation of 4.3 million tonnes. Last year, rapeseed harvest amounted to 5.7 million tonnes.

Germany's DRV is an umbrella organisation including all of Germany's agricultural and food management cooperatives, to which nearly all farmers, horticultural businesses and wine growers belong.