Farmers in Germany have anticipated the grain market with high prices. The area of winter cereals was already fixed when the market exploded, but summer cereals could still be controlled. The acreage of spring wheat will increase by no less than 75%. Summer barley has also been sown considerably more. Does that cost potatoes, beets and corn?
The German statistical service Destatis made today (May 19) area figures known. German farmers have sown a total of 2,89 million hectares of winter wheat. That is 0,6% more than last year. The areas of winter barley (-1,4%), rye (-5,3%) and triticale (-0,2%) are all decreasing. When the war in Ukraine started at the end of February - and the grain market reacted sharply - farmers also reacted strongly.
More summer grains
The area of spring wheat has increased by no less than 74%. The area of spring barley has increased by a fifth. With 53.100 hectares of spring wheat, the size remains modest compared to winter wheat. The total area of summer grains this year is one million hectares. That is the largest area since 2018, when the winter grains shrank in area.
Where does the soil come from to sow more summer grain? Including silage maize. Destatis thinks its cultivation will shrink by 8% this season. Good for almost 200.000 hectares. This brings the area to 2,03 million hectares. The cultivation of grain maize increased by 2,4% to 441.200 hectares. Rapeseed has increased by almost 8% this year to 1,08 million hectares, also due to rising prices.
Potato area unchanged
This means that silage maize takes the biggest hit. According to provisional figures from Destatis, potato cultivation is increasing by 0,2% to 258.700 hectares. This means that the area is moving sideways and there is therefore no decline. Insiders think that fewer table potatoes are being grown and more fries potatoes.
It is perhaps remarkable that sugar beet cultivation is also increasing, by a modest 2% to 398.300 hectares. Protein crops do not take up much space on the total area. Yet more peas (7%) and field beans (16,6%) are grown. The latter now amounts to 67.000 hectares.
Destatis bases itself on data from a survey that was voluntarily conducted among farmers in mid-April. Ultimately, the figures may still differ slightly. The government service expects to be able to draw up the final figures at the end of July.