- Farmers dissatisfied with harvest
At the tail end of the harvest season, farmers in Saxony-Anhalt are dissatisfied. "The yields of the grain harvest are better than feared, but the qualities are worse than expected," said Olaf Feuerborn, president of the state farmers' association, to the German Press Agency. Some operations have to market half of their wheat harvest as feed wheat.
Due to weather fluctuations, harvest work in Saxony-Anhalt has had to be repeatedly interrupted this year. The weather also caused problems in April and May. "At crucial development stages, rainfall was lacking for too long. The effects of unfavorable weather, combined with restrictions on fertilizing, are now resulting in low protein contents."
In order for the machines to run, farmers are hoping for stable high-pressure conditions in the coming days. According to the farmers' association, the winter rapeseed harvest is well underway, with an average of 3.2 tons per hectare harvested across the state. Hard wheat and spelt are also currently being harvested.
Despite the previously higher-than-anticipated grain yields, some farmers might need to sell their excess wheat as feed wheat due to lower-than-expected qualities. This situation might be attributed to insufficient rainfall during crucial growth stages and limitations on fertilizer usage, leading to reduced protein contents in the cereals.
