MARS agency again lowered its forecasts for corn and sunseed yields in the EU

In its September report, the MARS crop monitoring service lowered its forecasts for average yields of corn and sunseed in the EU, but raised its forecasts for soybeans and sugar beets. For Central and Eastern Europe, yield estimates were lowered, while for the western regions they were raised.

The heat in the south-central and eastern parts of Europe had a negative impact on biomass accumulation and shortened the grain filling period. In Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, and Austria, the situation was aggravated by a prolonged rainfall deficit. Dry weather also reduced corn yields in Poland, Lithuania and northeastern Germany.

The prolonged lack of precipitation in eastern Ukraine, southern Russia and Belarus had a negative impact on crop yields, especially sunseed and corn.

In September, the heat wave gave way to cooler weather with storms and showers that led to flooding in Central Europe. However, it is still difficult to assess the impact of the weather on the harvest in these regions.

Compared to the August estimates, the European Commission has lowered its yield forecasts:

• corn – from 7.03 to 6.84 t/ha (7.5% below the 5-year average),
• sunseed – from 2.04 to 1.98 t/ha (-8.6%).

At the same time, the favorable weather in Western Europe allowed to increase the yield forecasts of the crops grown there:

• sugar beet – from 73.4 to 74.7 t/ha (2.2% higher than the 5-year average)
• soybeans – from 2.75 to 2.81 t/ha (+2.9%).

Tags: corn, EU, sunseed, crop forecast