Sharp reductions in EU spring barley and sunflower yields

At the EU level, the yield forecast for most crops remains at or slightly above the mediocre average of the last 5 years. The forecast for sunflower suffered the strongest downward revision, to 5% below the average of the last 5 years, mainly due to worsening yield prospects for Romania (the main sunflower-producing country in the EU), according to the EU Crop Status Bulletin (MARS Bulletin). The worsening forecast for spring barley, which was already well below the 5-year average, is mainly due to substantial downward revisions for Denmark, Sweden, Finland and the Baltic Sea countries. The main reason for the worsening yield expectations is clearly drier-than-usual conditions, which have been in place for more than a month across much of western, central and northern Europe, as well as eastern Romania. In several of these regions, negative impacts resulting from limited soil water supply for crops were exacerbated by markedly warmer than usual temperatures and high radiation. The ...