Rain, cooler weather feed Spain’s grain crop

Spain’s total grain production in marketing year 2025-26 is expected to exceed 24.1 million tonnes and reduce imports, thanks to expanded area, abundant rain and mild temperatures since the beginning of March that benefited winter crops, according to a report from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture.

Spring 2025 was marked by ample rainfall from early March until the second half of May, the FAS noted, which restored soil moisture across the country and significantly improved water storage levels and secured above-average yields on rain-fed land.

After several years trending down, due to stiff competition for land from more profitable tree crops, official statistics show a recovery in area planted to grains in Spain, the FAS said. At the national level, water reserves are currently at 76.8% of total storage capacity, and irrigation water availability supported planted area for the summer corn crop reaching nearly 320,000 acres.

The FAS said corn production could exceed 3.6 million tonnes in 2025-26. Winter grains such as wheat are seen reaching 8.5 million tonnes, barley 9.5 million tonnes and oats 1.3 million tonnes, benefiting from the mild weather that contributed to favorable germination.

“While a sizeable grain crop is projected, the persistent rains during spring forced farmers to opt for lower yielding short-cycle spring grain varieties,” the FAS said. “The combination of abundant precipitation and high soil moisture prevented farmers from treating or fertilizing and triggered concerns about pest incidence and grains protein content in some instances.”

The FAS said positive production margins in livestock sectors justify a steady demand in feed ingredients. The combination of an above-average 2025-26 and somewhat expanding feed grains demand is expected to put Spain’s total grain import needs at 14 million tonnes, down from the over 16 million tonnes of grain imports estimated for 2024-25.

Tags: grain, barley, wheat, crop forecast, oats