BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) – Germany’s summer 2010 grain crop is likely to fall to about 46 million tonnes from 2009’s 49.9 million tonne harvest, said the association of German farming co-operatives, known as DRV.
In its first provisional grain harvest estimate, the DRV said the cold winter restricted field work. In some areas, wet weather prevented farmers from spreading fertilizer, which is likely to cut yields. Germany’s 2010 winter wheat harvest is likely to fall only 1.3 percent on the year to 24.59 million tonnes, it said.
But farmers also reduced feed grain planting because of expected cuts to the European Union’s feed grain intervention subsidies.
The winter feed barley harvest was forecast to fall 14.5 percent to 8.62 million tonnes. The spring malting barley crop is likely to fall 17.2 percent to 1.826 million tonnes.
Rye is likely to drop a huge 24.4 percent to 3.227 million tonnes, it said. Corn is predicted down 4.8 percent at 4.31 million tonnes.
The rapeseed crop is likely to fall by 9.7 percent on the year to 5.675 million tonnes despite a 1.6 percent seeding increase.
