Summer harvest complete, yields favorable

(Photo: Pixabay)

István Nagy explained that the averages per hectare for all plant species (summer cereals and rapeseed) are above the five-year averages. The yield of the largest arable crop – winter wheat – this year is 5.55 tons/hectare, which is almost 2 percent higher than the past five years. The national average yield for winter barley is 5.7 tons/hectare. Triticale is 4.3; spring barley is 4.8; rye 3.4; oats 3; seed peas 2.5; and rapeseed 2.9 tons/hectare were harvested. The straw harvest and summer soil work are progressing at a steady pace. He added that based on the data, it can be said that the crop volume necessary for the country’s supply will be harvested in the 2025−26 season, and a significant amount – in the order of a million tons – may also be exported.

The Minister noted that this year’s sowing area of winter wheat is showing an increase, by 5.9 percent compared to last year

In the case of rye and oats, a significant increase in area is visible this year. István Nagy emphasized that a safe food supply is not only a strategic issue, but also a national security issue. Hungarian agriculture is capable of supplying more than 20 million people, so it is a good feeling to see that the players in the sector can be counted on under all circumstances. In the case of fall-harvested crops, based on the data on unified applications, the total area expected this year is more than 1.5 million hectares, which is lower than in previous years, although the area of sunflower is also increasing this year. The main reason for this is that sunflower performs better under the extreme weather conditions of this year and the previous period than, for example, corn. Soybeans are also showing growth, exceeding the data of the past five years by about 12 percent, with a total area of 79 thousand hectares this year. Given that these crops do not tolerate prolonged drought and heat waves well, crop losses are expected.

AM