Germany: Winter barley crop expected to increase, spring barley to drop this year

Germany’s winter barley crop, mostly used for animal feed, will increase 3.3% on the year to 9.12 million tonnes, the country's association of farm cooperatives DRV said on April 16.

The spring barley crop, used in beer and malt production, will fall 3.4% to 1.93 million tonnes with sowings now finished but the planted area cut, it said.

The 2021 wheat crop of all types is expected to increase by 2.2% on the year to 22.63 million tonnes, DRV said.

The association forecast Germany's 2021 winter rapeseed crop will rise 1.6% from last summer’s crop to 3.57 million tonnes.

This was up from its first harvest forecast in March, when the association had forecast a wheat crop of 22.34 million tonnes and a winter rapeseed crop of 3.48 million tonnes.

The grain maize (corn) crop will fall 3.1% to 3.90 million tonnes with maize sowings set to start.

Germany’s weather has been “fundamentally positive” for grains and rapeseed so the forecasts are being increased, the association said.


In neighbouring France there is concern about frost damage to some crops. France suffered deeper frosts than Germany in April.

Cold weather in Germany in recent weeks had slowed growth of grains and rapeseed and some crops are about two to three weeks behind growth last year, the association said. But overall the crop yield picture is positive.

“The plants are slowly emerging with good soil moisture levels into the springtime, which is improving yield potential,” it said.

Normal weather patterns are now needed to achieve the harvest forecasts. Germany has suffered summer droughts and heatwaves in recent years.