Excessive heat in the US still an issue, rainfall in Europe set to impact crop quality

By Jane Byrne

- Last updated on GMT

© GettyImages/ChrisHepburn
© GettyImages/ChrisHepburn

Related tags Wheat rainfall heatwave

High temperatures in the US continue to dominate market headlines, with excessive heat in northern US states spilling into the corn belt.

Iowa is also suffering and global grain markets moved slightly higher again yesterday, finds CRM Agri.

The EU JRC Mars bulletin for July highlighted increasing yield confidence for EU wheat production and increasing yield estimates for wheat and maize across the EU. Excessive rainfall is likely to negatively impact quality, though.

The EU report​ outlined how Western European regions experienced mostly average to wet conditions during the review period  - from  June 1 to July 20 - while hot and dry weather was more prominent in southern and south-eastern regions.

Heavy storm events – sometimes accompanied by hail – occurred in several parts of Europe, locally causing severe damage to crops, noted the review. 

eu report weather mars
Areas of concern regarding inclement weather © EU JRC Mars bulletin

“At regional level, the exceptionally high rainfall in much of France, Germany, the Benelux countries, Romania and Ukraine is likely to negatively affect grain quality rather than yields.

“Warmer-than-usual conditions reduced the yield expectations for winter crops in the Baltic countries and Finland.

“Heatwaves in central Italy, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia negatively affected the final stages of the growth cycle of winter crops, and the development of summer crops, where not sufficiently irrigated.”

Looking to Russia and while the harvest pace has been catching up with 2020, yields have been disappointing, noted the CRM Agri team.

“In Russia, consecutive heatwaves negatively impacted the yield formation of winter wheat and spring cereals, and are also a source of stress for grain maize,"​ found the EU bulletin. 

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