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News article16 September 2019

Reduced yield outlook for EU maize and sunflowers

The September issue of the JRC MARS Bulletin - Crop monitoring in Europe - was published today, alongside the Turkey and Ukraine editions of the JRC MARS Bulletin global outlook series.

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Maize crops in much of Europe were negatively impacted by heat and/or drought stress this year
© Adobe Stock, by Gina Sanders

The September issue of the JRC MARS Bulletin - Crop monitoring in Europe - was published today, alongside the Turkey and Ukraine editions of the JRC MARS Bulletin global outlook series.

According to the Bulletin - Crop monitoring in Europe, hot and regionally dry conditions negatively impacted the final part of the - hitherto very positive - summer crops growing season in south-eastern Europe.

This, combined with continued challenging conditions in large parts of central and western Europe, has resulted in an overall mediocre yield outlook for summer crops at EU level.

The yield forecasts for grain maize and sunflowers have both fallen by approximately 4%.

The grain maize yield forecast is now practically at the 5-year average.

Sunflowers are the only summer crop addressed in the Bulletin that still has a positive yield outlook at EU level, above the 5-year average.

This issue of the Bulletin features a special section on rice, for which the EU outlook is average.

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According to the MARS Bulletin global outlook – Turkey, Turkey experienced an overall favourable season. Yields of all crops are forecast to be above the five-year average, as well as above last year’s level.

According to the MARS Bulletin global outlook – Ukraine, Ukraine also experienced a favourable season, which, for winter and spring cereals, was concluded with very high yields. Summer crop yields are also expected to be high and close to record levels, despite the negative impacts due to late sowing and dry conditions in central Ukraine, where most of the grain maize is produced.

Further information

MARS bulletins - crop monitoring in Europe

The next Bulletin with updated forecasts will be published on 28 October.

Related Content

MARS bulletins - crop monitoring in Europe

Details

Publication date
16 September 2019