Grain and potatoes are doing well in the EU

The European JRC MARS institute reports this in the June edition of the MARS crop monitor bulletin. Large parts of Europe experienced relatively cool weather in May. Temperatures have risen in recent weeks and this, in combination with sufficient moisture, has ensured good development of crops in almost all of Europe. Due to the relatively cool weather, the development delay of the grains is only made up to a limited extent.

On the edges of Europe it is either too wet or too dry
Some areas around the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea suffer from excessively wet conditions, which means that there is high disease pressure, especially in southern Finland and eastern Ukraine, and making field work (spraying) difficult. In Portugal and Turkey, crops are suffering from drought, which is affecting yields.

However, this does not detract from the expected yield. Europe can look forward to a good harvest. The harvest forecast for grain is 5,63 tons per hectare. That is 5,5% above the 5-year average and 1,3% higher than the expectation in the May report.

In the Benelux the temperatures are favorable for the crops. There is sufficient moisture, the amount of precipitation is around or above the long-term average. Spring sown crops are underdeveloped compared to the multi-year average. That limits the yield potential. Nevertheless, the JRC expects yields for all crops to be above the 5-year average.

Above average potato harvest
The European potato yield is estimated by JRC MARS at 34,5 tons per hectare. The 5-year average is 33 tons per hectare and the May report assumed a yield of 34 tons per hectare.

In Germany in particular, the yield expectation is significantly higher at 44,8 tons per hectare, 8,1% above the 5-year average. An average harvest of 43,6 tons per hectare is expected for the Netherlands. It should be noted that July and August are still important months for potato growth.