The EU wheat harvest in 2023/24 is almost the same as the previous season

In the September report, Stratégie Grains raised the forecast for soft wheat production in the EU in 2023/24 MY by 0.3 million tons compared to last month - to 125 million tons (-0.3 million tons compared to the previous year).

The upward adjustment is due to higher-than-previously estimated grain yields in some countries, notably Lithuania and Latvia, which offset worse yields in other countries, including Spain. Harvest has not yet been completed in parts of Scandinavia and Finland.

In addition, reflecting prospects for better yields in Germany and Lithuania, EU barley production estimates increased by 0.2 million tonnes per month to 47.4 million tonnes, incl. winter 29.6 million tons (27.8 million tons a year earlier) and spring 17.8 (23.6) million tons.

Despite the worsening prospects in South-East Europe, the forecast for the corn harvest in 2023/24 MY increased by 0.9 million tons per month to 59.6 million tons (52.3 million tons a year earlier), which is mainly due to the prospects high production in Germany, France, Poland and Hungary. Yields were expected to be sharply lower in south-eastern Europe, especially Bulgaria, due to unfavorable conditions in July. However, in France the yield will be good, despite the hot weather at the end of the growing season in the southern regions of the country.