Meteorological Service: In Europe, with the exception of the Iberian Peninsula, the crop outlook is favorable

In an analysis published on the organization’s website, it is explained that in April the drought ended in the northwestern areas of Italy. In May, however, a much wetter than average period followed, with double the long-term average falling in some places, especially in the northeastern and southern parts of the country. In the province of Emilia-Romagna, extreme amounts of rain fell at the beginning of May, which led to severe floods and destroyed wheat and barley fields.

In Romania and Bulgaria, the main sunflower-producing countries of the European Union, stocks are in relatively good condition

Soil moisture is favorable, but there is a risk that the flowering period will already fall on a drought period. Sowing in Spain was extremely difficult due to the persistent drought, sunflowers could not be sown in a significant part of the originally planned sowing area, and the stands are not irrigated, so the crop prospects are also very poor. In France and Germany, the stocks are in good condition, but in Greece, many people have finished sunflower production, because it is not worth dealing with this plant, because the costs are higher than the yield. And in Ukraine, sunflower sowing was delayed compared to the previous year due to the frequent rainfall in April. According to the analysis, based on satellite measurements, the natural and cultivated vegetation is not in good condition in Spain, Argentina, Morocco, Central Asia, and the central regions of the United States. Here in the drought-stricken state of Kansas – which is the largest winter wheat-producing region – the proportion of stands in poor or very poor condition is high, at 68 percent. In China, as in recent years, a record wheat harvest is expected this year, which is estimated to reach 140 million tons.

MTI