E-Malt.com News article: 2003 crop expectations of barley in Europe

EU: Estimates of the barley acreage in 2003 range from 10,4 to 10,55 Mill. Ha, of which 6 Mill. Ha spring barley. Both figures are virtually unchanged from 2002. Increases of 40-50.000 Ha each in Germany and the U.K. are likely to be compensated by a drop of 90.000 Ha in Denmark. Winter started with heavy precipitation all over the Continent and inundations, especially in France and Germany. In January it was followed by a frost wave with little or no snowcover. Winter kill is reported from France, where the crop of Esterel barley has been badly affected. Also England and East Germany report some damages. In general winter kill leads to smaller overall crops, however, reseeding in spring may boost the acreage of spring barley. Private estimates of an EU barley crop of 47,5 to 49,5 Mill. tons (versus 48,2 Mill. in 2002) are hardly more than guesses at this time.

Eastern Europe: Winter in Russia, Ukraine and Scandinavia has been much colder than in all recent years. Ports in the Northern and Eastern Baltic Sea as well as in the Sea of Azov are ice-bound. Snowcover, which is sufficient by now in Eastern Europe, had been negligible, when frost temperatures set in. Winter kill is severe. In the Ukraine estimates are that at least 20-30 % of the 8 Mill. Ha of winter grains are lost, amongst them most of the 715.000 Ha of winter barley. Russian estimates put the 2003 grain crop 10 % lower than last year's harvest. As most of the barley grown in Russia and the Ukraine is spring barley, barley crops will be affected less than wheat. Bulgaria’s barley plantings are 290.000 Ha, 11 % down from a year ago. Crop estimate 840.000 tons (950.000 in 2002). Romania planted 240.000 Ha barley, 25 % less than in 2002. They still expect a larger crop, 850.000 tons vs. 650.000 tons last year.


07 February, 2003