Brussels, 28/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - COPA and COGECA, the agricultural and cooperative organisations of the EU, published their forecasts for cereals in the European Union in 2011. The total cereals production of the 27 member states is expected to be 282.1 million tonnes in 2011, a 2.4% increase compared with 2010, they say.
Production of soft wheat could up 2.7% to reach 129.7 million tonnes, with the total area cultivated practically unchanged.
“Faced with a tight world cereals market and rising grain demand, COPA-COGECA called for measures to increase EU grain productivity”, they say in a press release. “The world wheat market situation is expected to remain tight until the end of the current marketing year due to higher world demand for feedstuffs”, they add.
COPA-COGECA Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen said: “It is vital to increase productivity through a strong common agricultural policy. EU measures to manage the market must be maintained and improved ... In addition, direct payments to farmers must continue in the future to help farmers cope with the increasing volatility”.
The organisations continue to be unhappy with European Commission plans for a further greening of aid under the common agricultural policy (CAP) in the reform package “as it could raise farmers' costs and threaten food production”.
Rape seed production in the European Union could be around 20.2 million tonnes in 2011, according to COPA-COGECA figures, a 2.3% rise in production compared with the 198.7 million tonnes in 2010. The area under cultivation is reported to be slightly down, with average yield of 30 q/ha (100kg per hectare) compared with 29 q/ha last year. (L.C./transl.rt)