29 Dec Coceral crop forecast December 2023

Brussels, 20 December 2023 – In its first forecast for the 2024 crop, COCERAL sees the total grain crop in the EU-27+UK at 281.7 mln t. This would be down from the 287.1 mln t harvested in 2022. Wheat production (excluding durum) is expected at 134,2 mln t, down from 139.4 mln t this year. Record rainfall in recent weeks had a major impact on winter cereal sowing (wheat/winter barley) in France but also in Northern Europe due to recurrent rainfall (Germany, UK, Baltics, Poland), while Spain will substantially increase vs 2023, Italy, and Germany crops will instead be in line with the current harvest. The EU-27+UK 2023 barley production is forecast at 56.1 mln t, up from 54,1 mln t for the 2023 harvest. Denmark, Finland, and Spain will have better crops than in 2023, The preliminary data on corn crops are now at 57.1 mln t, with the 2023 harvest at 61.6 mln t. The EU-27+UK rapeseed crop is forecast at 11.3 mln t, up from the 7,5 mln t in the previous forecast.