- Wetter Year Leads to Decreased Cereal Yields in 2024
Harvest Dip in Hesse
The 2024 wheat harvest in Hesse saw a drop compared to the years 2018-2023. According to the Hessian State Statistical Office, the typical wheat varieties yielded an average of 6.34 tonnes per hectare, lower than the previous six years of relatively dry weather. This year's harvest was characterized by excessive rainfall, a factor that significantly impacts yields, as recently explained by the farmers' association.
Heavy rainfall particularly impacted winter wheat, lowering the yield to 915,600 tonnes, the second-lowest in the past 24 years.
Rapeseed Up, Wheat Down
The harvest of winter barley also took a hit in comparison to previous years. Although an average of 6.55 tonnes per hectare was gathered in the dry years of 2018-2023, this year's yield fell to 5.92 tonnes per hectare, amounting to a decrease of approximately 0.6 tonnes per hectare.
Conversely, the winter rapeseed yield was nearly the same as the six-year average, at 3.52 tonnes per hectare. However, due to increased planting, the total harvest for rapeseed witnessed an increase compared to the previous year.
In conclusion, there was a decrease in the cultivation of winter wheat and an increase in the planting of winter rapeseed in Hesse in 2024.
Despite the decrease in winter wheat cultivation, cereals still played a significant role in Hesse's agricultural landscape. household staples like breakfast cereals often include wheat and barley, so even with lower yields, these crops remained essential. Interestingly, the increase in winter rapeseed planting led to a rise in the total rapeseed harvest, providing an alternative source of cereal-like grains in cereal-based products.
