08/03/2019 (Agence Europe) – According to its first forecast for the 2019 crop, the Committee on Cereals Trade (Coceral) projected, on Thursday 7 March, the European cereal production of 298.5 million tonnes (t). This is an increase of 6.5% compared to the 2018 cereal production (280.2 million t). Wheat production is estimated at 139.8 million t (127.4 million t in 2018), due to higher plantings and an expected recovery in yields in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Poland and the Scandinavian countries. Barley production is estimated at 59.4 million t, up from 56.1 million t last year. The EU corn crop is seen at 61 million t, almost unchanged from 60.3 million in 2018. Rapeseed production stands at just 18.5 million tonnes. (LC)