Strategie Grains cuts EU wheat crop forecast after harvest begins

Strategie Grains has lowered its monthly forecast for this year’s soft wheat harvest in the European Union, reiterating its expectation of a four-year low in production as harvest begins. The consultancy now forecasts soft wheat production in 2024/25 in the 27-nation bloc at 121.8 million tons, 1.7 million tons less than forecast in May. The consultancy’s latest forecast is 3.6% below last year’s volume and would be the lowest since 2020/21, when the crop was also affected by heavy rains during the growing season. In a summary of its monthly cereals report, Strategie Grains did not explain the reasons for the downward revision to its forecast, but said it expected France to see the biggest year-on-year drop in production, followed to a lesser extent by Germany, Poland and Hungary. France, the EU’s biggest grain producer, saw soft wheat sowing fall by more than 7% due to heavy rains. The consultancy also lowered its forecast for this year’s EU barley crop to 52.2 million tons from ...