Due to the heat waves of the past few weeks, the german farmers' association (DBV) is expecting a significantly poorer cereal harvest this year than in the past. In the meantime, the DBV expects a harvest of between 44 million and 45 million tons.
Around 47 million tons had previously been expected, only slightly below the multi-year average of 47.9 million tons. "The correction in harvest expectations is due to the heat waves, which have reduced the yield potential of the most important cereal crop in germany, winter wheat, in particular," it said in explanation.
DBV president joachim rukwied announced that the average yield level had improved compared to last year's crop failure. "Nevertheless the enterprises in the regions again affected by drought must cope with rough losses for the repeated time."The yield picture, however, is very heterogeneous, depending on the amount of precipitation in the individual regions.
Winter wheat accounts for around half of the harvest volumes now forecast. The association reckons that 22 million tons were involved. Between 2013 and 2017, an average of around 25.3 million tons had been harvested.
Winter oilseed rape has also been particularly hard hit, with the area under cultivation down by more than a third this year due to the drought. The association assumes crop yields of about 2.8 million tons. The long-term average between 2013 and 2017 was almost twice as high.