Brussels, 10/05/2001 (Agence Europe) - Estimates by the European organisation Cocereal (committee of the cereal, cattle fodder and oilseed trade), published on Friday, note that the total surface area for sowed tender wheat this year in the European Union is 13.34 million hectares, against 14.4 million hectares in 2000, representing a decrease of 7.3%. The European harvest could thus fall to 87.684 million tonnes (Mt) against 95.473 Mt for 2000, or a drop of 8.2%. All the large producer countries should see a fall in their surface area for wheat: of 250,000 hectares for France, 441,000 ha for the United Kingdom, 175 for Spain, 30,000 for Germany and 17,000 for Denmark.
The surface areas for winter barley is said, for its part, to have increased by 1.1% to reach 10.7 million hectares, with, however, falls in production of 1% (51.17 Mt in 2001). Spring barley should also increase to go from 5.81 to 6.15 million hectares (+ 5.9%). Corn should also increase Community-wide by 116,000 hectares, to reach 4.327 million hectares, with a steep increase in France ( +76,000 hectares). Oilseeds is said to be up by 2.7% in the European Union at 5.43 million hectares (+ 140,000 hectares). The surface area for sunflower is said to b up by 8.5%, that of soja by 13.4%, whereas colza is said to be down by 2.2%.