Worst grain harvest in Havelland: Farmers sound the alarm!

Worst grain harvest in Havelland: Farmers sound the alarm!

While the harvest season in Havelland is approaching its peak, the situation for farmers looks anything but rosy. Dirk Peters, the chairman of the Havelland district farmers' association, draws a bleak conclusion: The current harvest season could be the worst harvest ever. The severe consequences of the drought, combined with extremely high temperatures of around 35 degrees, have severely damaged the wheat. In some places it even remained dry, which significantly affected the yields. Precipitation in the first six months of the year is just 108 liters, which is only 20 percent of the annual average. For comparison: Last year there was more than twice as much precipitation, around 555 liters, in the same period [maz-online.de].

In West Havelland, expectations for yields are particularly negative, which not only affects the grain harvest. Jan-Derk Koning, a farmer from Hertefeld, is facing a catastrophe: “Normally I harvest around 60 decitons of winter barley per hectare, this year I'm planning on at least 30 decitons - that's quite a blow,” he says. Winter barley is traditionally the first grain to be harvested, but this year it is two weeks early. The condition of the crop is poor due to lack of water; the grains are small and the prices for winter barley have been at a low for some time.

Hoping for rain and better times

While the conditions for winter barley are catastrophic, there is still a glimmer of hope on the horizon: the overall outlook for the grain harvest in the EU is better. Analysts shed light on the prospects for a significant recovery in the EU's grain harvest, which could rise from 125.5 million tonnes of common wheat in 2024 to 140.4 million tonnes in 2025, according to Coceral, as agrarwelt.com reports. In Germany, a wheat yield of 7.48 tons per hectare is expected, which is 6 percent higher than last year.

But even if the forecasts for other regions - especially Spain and the Black Sea region - promise above-average yields, the situation in Havelland remains tense. Farmers are desperately hoping for rain, which is urgently needed, especially for corn. Koning, who also has 600 dairy cows and raises 270 bull calves, is concerned that the drought has also affected feed production. The second cut on the green areas fell to only 60 percent of the normal yield.

Different yield forecasts worldwide

Viewed in a broader light, the differences within Europe become clear. The Commission's MARS report indicates that the average wheat yield in the EU is 5.83 tonnes per hectare - 8 percent more than last year. This is mainly due to the better growing conditions in the southern regions. In Germany, a yield of 9.82 tons per hectare is forecast for corn, which is within the long-term average, as agrarheute.com was able to determine.

In summary, it can be said that farmers in Havelland are currently struggling with extremely difficult conditions. Despite the positive forecasts for other parts of Europe, their situation remains a major challenge. This remains a shadow scenario for local agriculture - with the hope of improvement in the near future.