The German cooperative DRV is adjusting the harvest forecast for grains and rapeseed upwards. The crops are developing excellently, especially in the last few weeks.
"A month ago, crops were still 2 to 3 weeks behind in development compared to the multi-year average. That is now still 1 week to 10 days," said Guido Seedler, market expert at DRV, in a statement. Because the crops are now developing so well, the cooperative is adjusting the harvest forecast for grain in Germany to 44,2 million tons. That is 1 million tons higher than last year's yield. The estimate for the rapeseed harvest is 3,7 million tons, an increase of 4,5% compared to last year.
Need rain
Barley and rapeseed are in the grain filling phase and wheat is just before that. Sufficient moisture in this phase is important for a good yield. “It is starting to get dry in the north and east of Germany,” says Seedler. "We need significant rain there quickly. There is still sufficient moisture in the soil in the south and west."
DRV expects the winter barley harvest to start the first week of July, a week later than average. The stocks of the 2020 harvest are almost gone. This can cause problems for processors. "If the harvest starts later, local shortages cannot be ruled out," Seedler concludes.