Crop monitoring in Europe – May 2019

Summary:

Substantial improvements to the yield outlook for winter cereals in southern Europe, were largely offset by reduced yield forecasts in northern regions, resulting in a slight upward revision at EU level. Yield expectations for grain maize also improved in most southern EU regions, whereas the yield forecasts for northern maize producing regions were still mainly based on historical trends.

Further information:

Rainfall cumulates were well above seasonal values during the analysis period in Italy, south-eastern Europe and south-eastern parts of the Iberian Peninsula. The rain surplus instigated the replenishment of soil moisture reserves, which in several regions were critically low, with substantial benefits to winter crops and the early development of spring- and summer crops.

Large parts of northern-central Europe experiences a marked rainfall deficit which started mid-March. April was particularly dry in these regions. Winter crops were negatively affected in northern Poland, eastern and northeastern Germany and northwestern Czechia; especially on light sandy soils. Emerging spring and summer crops were also impacted. The weather forecast foresaw some rain in these regions; however, with a large margin of uncertainty.