September 29, 2008

 
Poland's 2008 all-grain crop totalled 27.1 million tonnes, unchanged from last year and much improved from earlier estimates of a 7 percent to 9 percent annual decline, the Central Statistical Office, or GUS, said Friday (September 26).

 
In its second and final preliminary estimate of this year's crop output, GUS said production of basic grains, excluding corn, totalled 25.2 million tonnes, down 0.4 percent from 25.3 million tonnes a year ago.

That's a considerable upgrade from GUS' first estimate in July of between 23.1 million and 23.6 million tonnes, when it appeared the grain crop would suffer significant damage from drought in May and June.

GUS said that rainfall at the end of June and in July substantially improved the condition of grain plantings. In addition, the grain planting area rose 2.5 percent on year, while the corn planting area rose 23.2 percent on year, resulting in a 3 percent annual growth of overall planting area.

Average grain yield was 3.07 tonnes a hectare, 2.8 percent below the level in 2007.

The statistics office now estimates the 2008 rapeseed harvest at about 2.1 million tonnes, up from its July estimate of 1.93 million tonnes, but 2.1 percent below last year's output.

Estimated rapeseed yield rose 1.1 percent to 2.70 tonnes a hectare, GUS said.

GUS said 2008 sugar beet output is expected at 9.3 million tonnes, down 27 percent on year.