Brussels, 23/09/2004 (Agence Europe) - According to the latest estimates of the Committee of Agricultural Organisations in the EU (COPA) and the General Confederation of Agricultural Co-operatives in the EU (COGECA), wine production in the EU of Fifteen is up 8% in 2004-2005, to 177 million hectolitres, (Mhl), compared to the results recorded for the previous marketing year (2003-2004). The agricultural organisations state, however, that estimates for 2004 have been revised slightly downwards from the figures announced in August (180 Mhl).
This is the first time since 2001 that European production is set to increase. The three previous marketing years had been beset by low production volumes (163 Mhl in 2001-2002 and 2003-2004 and 158 Mhl in 2002-2003), and we have to go back to 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 for anything above 180 Mhl, say COPA and COGECA.
In 2004, French production will reach 58.5 Mhl, or 23% more than in 2003. Italy, which had extremely poor production last year due to the weather, will record a 6% increase in 2004 (to 49 Mhl). In Spain, on the other hand, the 2004 harvest is likely to fall by 7%, to 44Mhl, due to mildew (a fungal vine disease), which devastated the country's most productive region, La Mancha. According to the figures, production will rise by 27% in Germany (to 10.5 Mhl), 9% on Greece (4.2 Mhl) and 4% in Portugal (7.5 Mhl).
Six of the ten new Member States of the EU produce wine: Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Cyprus and Malta. Hungary, which accounts for half of all production from the new States, is set for national production of 4.8 Mhl, up 26% on 2003. Although not all information is as yet available, COPA and COGECA predict a 2004 harvest of 7 Mhl for all ten new Member States.