A heatwave expected to spread across Europe this week is likely to hit summer crops hard in the southeast, but it is good news for farmers on the other side of the region after prolonged rains flooded fields and stunted crop growth. plants, according to analysts.
Forecasters are predicting scorching temperatures across most of the European Union this week, just as record heat and dry weather are threatening harvests in other key global growing regions, affecting global supplies and driving up prices.
Weather influences plantations in the Northern Hemisphere, impacting prices as harvest approaches. Reports of rain and high productivity in the fields wheat from Russia led to global prices falling after 10-month highs.
Summer crops in eastern Europe and the Balkans, particularly in Romania, the EU's second-largest corn producer, were most at risk from the heat wave, which is expected to continue for another week or two, according to analysts.
Warning on EU agriculture
“We are approaching a critical stage. One week will already lead to a drop in production. Furthermore, if there are two weeks like this, there will be major damage and it could happen very quickly,” said Vincent Braak, an analyst at consultancy Strategie Grain.
Furthermore, Strategie Grains had already lowered its EU corn harvest forecast to 2024 earlier this month.
On Monday, EU crop monitor MARS cut its yield estimate for Romania's corn and sunflower crops to below the five-year average, highlighting that persistent dry weather has made them very vulnerable to dry and hot conditions.
In contrast, the expected hot and dry weather is welcome in the western part of the EU. Where crops have suffered from excessive and prolonged rain since autumn.
“French farmers will be very happy. This is what they have been waiting for for some time to give their harvests a boost,” Braak said.
On the other hand, warm and sunny weather will also be welcomed in Germany, Denmark and Poland, a German grain analyst said.
“Germany had a long, cold and rainy start to the summer, and sunlight would be excellent for boosting wheat ripening,” explained the analyst. Adding that this would also help prevent fungal infections in the cereal.
Finally, MARS cut most of its yield forecasts for this year's EU crops on Monday, citing excess moisture in Western Europe and dry weather in some southeastern countries.
Source: Sybille de La Hamaide and Michael Hogan | Notícias Agrícolas
