Grain output forecast to rise in EU in 2021

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM — In its first forecast for 2021, COCERAL sees the total grain crop in the EU-27+UK at 307.4 million tonnes, a significant increase over the 295.7 million tonnes harvested in 2020.

The report released on Dec. 9 projects wheat production (excluding durum) will recover from 127.9 million tonnes to 143 million tonnes, driven by higher expected plantings and yields in France, Germany, the UK, and the Balkan countries where adverse weather had affected the last crop.

COCERAL forecasts EU-27+UK 2021 barley production at 61.5 million tonnes, down from 63.1 million tonnes last year. While Germany and France are forecast to see much better crops than in 2020, production is seen down in Spain, where weather during the most critical crop development stage has been excellent in 2020, and in the UK, where spring barley planting should decrease substantially as the country has planted more winter grains this year than last year.

The EU-27+UK 2021 corn crop is seen by COCERAL at 63.1 million tonnes, up from last year’s 62.8-million-tonne crop, with much higher crops in the Balkan countries and small reductions in several other EU member states.

The EU-27+UK rapeseed crop is forecast to recover slightly from 16.9 million tonnes to 17.8 million tonnes because of slightly higher crops in several countries, including Germany, France, the UK, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary.