According to the competent experts of the EU’s agricultural organisations and cooperatives (Copa-Cogeca), total cereal production in 2022 should amount to 277 million tonnes in the EU27, they announced on Friday 1 July.
This figure represents a decrease of 4.4% compared to the previous year (290 million tonnes) and -3.8% compared to the multiannual average of 288 million tonnes.
The EU27 common wheat area remained almost stable at 21.7 million hectares. Due to lower yields, wheat production is expected to fall to 123.4 million tonnes from 129.2 million tonnes last year. Similar production declines are expected for other cereals, with a sharper decline for durum wheat, which is forecast to fall by 14.6% compared to 2021.
According to Jean-François Isambert, chair of the cereals working party of Copa-Cogeca, EU common wheat production is likely to be severely affected by extreme weather events in many regions with high temperatures, rain deficit or hail. “We expect a lower yield in the range of -5%”, he said.
For the oilseed harvest, the projections are more positive. It is forecast to rise to 32.1 million tonnes, 8.5% more than last year and above the multiannual average of 29.8 million tonnes. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)