December 12, 2004
This year, winter grains and oilseeds planting in the European Union (EU) has
progressed well. In addition,
crop emergence and development has occurred under mostly beneficial weather
and they should also be in good shape at the onset of winter. At the very beginning
of the 2005/06 season, there has been no large-scale weather event to significantly limit
yields. In several countries however, above-average,
autumn precipitation slowed-down an already late summer harvest. This delay
created a narrower-than-normal fall planting window.
For the most part, however, farmers were able to adapt to conditions,
managing to squeeze their field operations in between rain events, thereby getting their crops sown.
Abundant autumn rainfall has created adequate soil moisture levels
for winter grain development in almost all member countries.
During early fall, above-average to excessive precipitation was received in areas of northwest Germany,
France, and the Benelux
countries, as well as much of the British Isles. Portugal and the western
two-thirds of Spain also saw excessive precipitation. There have been no
references to crop damage in recent news stories, but the frequency of rain events
surely reduced the length of the autumn planting window. This shortened planting
calendar likely resulted in less seeded area in the affected parts of these countries.
As a result of the heavy rainfall, increased subsurface
soil moisture reserves should aid crops during the period of low-moisture needs
this winter. Specifically, precipitation mapped for August until October depicts
developing dryness in southern Spain, and Greece, while precipitation
mapped for the month of November shows
continued dryness in Spain and Greece, but also spreading into France. Heavy
precipitation returned in early December to these southern countries, alleviating the
dryness concerns. All areas now have adequate levels of topsoil moisture, but
additional rainfall would be beneficial to improve subsoils in Spain and Greece.
Seasonal Percent of Normal Precipitation from
August until the end of October reveals high precipitation levels along the
Atlantic Coast and British Isles.
November Percent of Normal Precipitation shows that monthly precipitation was concentrated in the east, while dry
weather prevailed in the west.
Early December Precipitation fell mostly on the
Iberian Peninsula, where it was most needed.
A mild fall with mostly
above-average temperatures (1 – 2 ºC above normal) benefited germinating and
emerging crops. A brief period of freezing temperatures in the northeast
occurred about two weeks early, during mid-October. More recently, cold but
seasonable temperatures have returned, triggering the hardening of winter
grains. Temperatures
dipped further below freezing during mid-November, ending the growing season in much of the central region,
including
Germany
and
Selected Minimum Temperature Graphs.
November Temperature Anomalies
The US agricultural office in Madrid reported that since mid-October, wet weather hampered planting in most winter grain areas of Spain. At a time when 70 percent of the Spanish crop should have been planted, only 50 percent had been sown. News reports gathered from Hungary have also stated autumn planting was progressing slowly because of rainy weather. Hungary however, has an additional problem this season concerning a severe lack of storage facilities. According to news reports, this year's bumper grain crops have filled all the silos and warehouses, and have prevented 2005/06 winter grain sowings. Remnants of the corn crop have been left in the fields unharvested, while producers wait until storage becomes available. In November, USDA's attaché in Berlin reported that Germany's winter rapeseed area is projected to increase only marginally in 2005/06. The small area increase is somewhat of a surprise because the demand from both biodiesel needs, and food sources has been high. Again, the primary reason for less-than-expected area in 2004/05 is the late harvest of the previous crop. The German wheat crop lingered in the field longer than usual this year, preventing some farmers from sowing autumn's first planted crop, typically rapeseed. Finally, news reports gathered from the United Kingdom cite high area planted in winter rapeseed, and that the crop is currently in very good condition.
Topsoil Moisture map shows no immediate
dryness problems for crops, but Greece and the Romania-Bulgaria border area have
low moisture levels.
Surface Wetness map contrasts dry areas
with areas that have had recent rain events.
Initial USDA estimates for 2005/06 grains will be released on May 12, 2005. Current
area and production estimates for grains and other agricultural
commodities are available at PSD
Online.
USDA's previous three-year harvest data for the EU's crops of wheat, barley and
corn.