Agriculture - Less grain in Brandenburg - harvest prospects subdued
Now is high season on Brandenburg's fields - the grain harvest is underway. However, strong rains and late frosts are dampening prospects for good yields. "The harvest will in total be below average," said Brandenburg's Farmers' Association President Henrik Wendorff at the harvest kickoff on a farm in Calau-Zinnitz (Oberspreewald-Lausitz). Approximately 2.1 million tons of grain will be harvested, which is below the previous year's amount (2023: 2.3 million tons). Farmers are currently harvesting the first grain culture, winter barley.
The reason for the modest harvest forecast, according to Wendorff, are the various weather influences since the autumn of the previous year. In addition to a dry period at the beginning of May, there was excessive rain. Late frosts in April caused damage to cultures down to minus 5 degrees. "The yields will not reach top values," said the President of the Farmers' Association. He hopes that the balance for the main crop, winter wheat, will be good.
However, the wet weather in June increased the risk of fungus diseases in potatoes and grain, requiring crop protection measures, as the Farmers' Association reported. Severe storms with hail struck in the districts of Elbe-Elster, Oder-Spree, and in the north of Teltow-Flaming in field stands and caused significant damage.
Sunshine for a good harvest on the wish list
For the grain harvest, farmers need dry and sunny weather on their fields in the coming weeks, preferably with some wind. "We need harvest weather and harvest temperatures now." A less stable weather situation with fluctuations around 18 and 30 degrees is less welcome.
Farmers are also under price pressure. "The markets are blowing a rough wind in our faces," remarked Wendorff. For example, there is enough feed grain on the market - this is pushing down prices. Imported grain from Ukraine is also putting pressure on prices from the farmers' perspective. "Our biggest challenge is the challenges of the global grain market, whose supply streams are severely disrupted by crises in the world. We feel that in Brandenburg."
The area for growing grain among Brandenburg's farmers is expected to further decrease in the current year, according to a preliminary estimation by the Berlin-Brandenburg Statistics Office. The area to be harvested is predicted to be 473,400 hectares in 2024, the office reported in May. The figures are based on a first estimation by the reporting and statistical officers. In 2019, still 537,800 hectares of grain were cultivated.
- Despite being in the high season for grain harvest in Brandenburg, the Farmers' Association President Henrik Wendorff anticipates a below-average yield due to adversary weather conditions, including rain and late frosts.
- The excess rain and late frosts in April impacted various cereal crops, including winter barley, which is currently being harvested, causing lower than expected yields.
- In Oberspreewald-Lausitz, farmers are struggling with these weather conditions, and President Wendorff hopes for improved yields in the main crop, winter wheat, to balance out the overall harvest.
- Farmers in Cereals-rich regions like OBERSPREEWALD-LAUSITZ in Brandenburg are grappling with the effects of poor weather and global market challenges, affecting their expected grain harvest and crop area for the year 2024.
