A damp fall delays the sowing of grains.
Due to the heavily wet autumn in various regions, German arable farming has undergone significant shifts. As per initial estimates from the Federal Statistical Office, this year witnesses a cultivation of 1.1 million hectares of summer cereals, which are almost exclusively sown during spring. This marks an uptrend of 19.6 percent.
Meanwhile, the ground for winter cereals, the staples of the German farming scene, has shrunk, dropping by 4.9 percent to approximately 4.8 million hectares. Autumn sowing faced challenges in some regions due to the persistent rainfall.
Consequently, the farming area for spring wheat has tripled to nearly 100,000 hectares. Spring barley and oats also experienced substantial growth. Yet, winter wheat retains its crown as the primary cereal with 2.6 million hectares, trailed by winter barley, albeit with a 2.5 percent boost, recording 1.3 million hectares.
Winter oilseed rape (1.1 million hectares, down 5.8 percent) and silage maize (2.1 million hectares, rose 4.9 percent) have notable roles. Moreover, there's a boost in potato and sugar beet farming in Germany.
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Nasser, a farmer in one of the affected regions, had to postpone his sowing of cereals due to the autumn's damp conditions. Despite the challenges, German arable farming continues to show resilience, with an increase of 19.6% in the cultivation of summer cereals, primarily sown in the German spring. The sowing of winter cereals, however, faced setbacks in some areas due to the persistent rainfall during the autumn season.
Source: www.ntv.de
