EU 2020 forecast on wheat yield cut 2%, corn raised by 3.3% from May survey

New Delhi — The yield forecast for wheat crop in 2020 was cut from the previous estimate at the European Union level, while that of corn was raised, according to the Monitoring Agricultural Resources report released on June 15.

Total wheat yield for EU is seen at 5.39 mt/hectare, down 2% from the May survey, which is also below the five-year average of 5.54 mt/ha, the data showed.

The main reasons for the poor outlook for winter cereals are the persistent rain deficit in large areas of north-western Europe as well as in Hungary and eastern Romania, the report said.

"During the review period (May 1 to June 10), winter crops in these regions were negatively impacted in the sensitive stages around flowering and/or during grain filling, according to the crop type and region," it said.

European Union, which is the second-largest exporter of wheat in the world, is expected to produce 141 million mt of wheat in 2020-21 (July-June), down 8.9% year on year, according to the latest trade report released by the US Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service.

The prospect for EU corn yield is seen better at 8.2 mt/ha in 2020, up 3.3% from May survey and a rise of 8.2% over the five-year average, according to the report.

Last season, corn yield for EU was at 7.9 mt/ha.

The EU, which is the largest corn importing region in the world, is expected to import 23 million mt of corn in 2020-21 (October-September), up 7% year on year, according to the USDA's FAS.