Favorable rains in most of the European Union allowed the European Union's Crop Monitoring Service (MARS) to raise its monthly forecasts for wheat and corn yields this year, but drought in Spain has helped to reverse barley.

The EU crop monitoring service in its report on Monday, June 17, raised its forecast for soft wheat yields in the EU in 2019 to 6.10 tons per hectare from 6.05 tons / ha forecasted last month.

This is 8.6% higher than last year's drought and 2.7% higher than the average over the past five years. The forecast for corn yields in the EU was increased from 7.92 t / ha to 8.05 t / ha, or 5.7% higher than the five-year average.

The expected barley yield in the EU has been reduced from 4.96 t / ha last month to 4.92 t / ha today, although this is 1.2% higher than the five-year average.

Rain increased yields in parts of northern and north-central Europe, including Germany and Poland, which experienced drought in April, while heavy rainfall in southeastern Europe and Italy also provided good humidity.

Hot and dry weather in Spain reduced the potential yield of winter cereals and spring barley, while at the same time increasing the risk of water restrictions for summer irrigation of crops such as corn.

The deterioration of the forecast in Spain led to the fact that MARS reduced the forecast for the yield of spring barley in the EU from 4.20 t / ha last month to 4.14 t / ha. This is 3.9% higher than last year's profitability, but 0.5% lower than the five-year average.

The forecast for rapeseed in the EU in 2019 has been slightly increased from 3.13 t / ha last month to 3.14 t / ha. This is 8.8% higher than last year's level, but 3.0% lower than the five-year norm.

For sugar beets, MARS lowered the yield estimate from 76.5 t / ha to 75.7 t / ha. This is 11% higher than last year, and 0.5% higher than the average for five years.