EU-15: 2003 Grain Forecast by Country

Wheat Production Down, Total Coarse Grain Production Up

Dry Spring in France and Germany, Favorable Conditions in Spain

European Union (EU-15) wheat production is forecast to be 101.0 million tons in 2003, a 2.3 million, or 2 percent decrease from 103.3 million tons in 2002. Total coarse grain production (barley, corn, mixed grain, oats, rye, and sorghum) is forecast to be 107.0 million tons, a less than 1 percent increase from 106.1 million last year. Wheat area decreased slightly, and coarse grain area is nearly unchanged.

Winter crop planting conditions were generally favorable in western Europe last autumn, with the exception of excessive moisture in southern Germany. In January and February, extremely cold temperatures combined with a lack of snow cover in northern France and northern Germany, damaged dormant winter barley. In some places, winter barley was replanted with lower yielding spring varieties. Winter and spring moisture levels in Spain have been extremely favorable, and growing conditions have been near normal in Italy and the United Kingdom. March and April were unusually dry in France and Germany, but abundant moisture reserves likely sustained winter crops planted in heavy soils.

Wheat, Coarse Grains, Barley and Corn Statistics

The tables below represent the details of the official USDA EU-15 grain totals. The practice of reporting official monthly statistics for each individual country within the EU-15 ended in May 2002. The numbers that appear below are provided as a convenience to USDA customers, but users are advised that there is no longer an official USDA production estimate for any individual country within the EU-15. The only official USDA estimates are the EU-15 totals, which are the sums of the individual country statistics listed below.

EU-15		Wheat		Coarse Grains		Barley		Corn
	Country Name	2002	2003	2002	2003	2002	2003	2002	2003
Area Harvested	Austria	295	285	522	515	200	200	200	200
	Bel/Lux	210	200	113	126	50	55	50	50
	Denmark	580	630	975	950	830	800	0	0
	Finland	170	160	1000	1010	520	540	0	0
	France	5230	5100	3974	4060	1640	1750	1820	1800
	Germany	3010	2955	3935	3845	1980	2095	395	410
	Greece	600	610	360	360	180	180	120	120
	Ireland	100	75	180	195	160	175	0	0
	Italy	2380	2310	1668	1629	345	335	1140	1110
	Netherlands	135	135	97	105	55	60	30	30
	Portugal	225	180	265	270	15	10	150	160
	Spain	2400	2360	4184	4135	3100	3050	460	465
	Sweden	340	430	785	770	410	400	0	0
	UK	2000	1850	1225	1245	1080	1100	0	0
Yield	Austria	4.88	4.91	6.40	6.37	4.30	4.50	9.80	9.50
	Bel/Lux	8.14	7.75	8.63	8.10	7.60	6.73	10.40	11.00
	Denmark	6.97	7.46	4.87	5.08	4.92	5.13	0.00	0.00
	Finland	3.35	3.44	3.26	3.01	3.35	3.06	0.00	0.00
	France	7.46	7.16	7.55	7.36	6.71	6.29	8.90	9.00
	Germany	6.91	7.11	5.75	5.84	5.56	5.54	9.11	9.02
	Greece	1.93	2.02	3.90	4.21	2.39	2.39	7.00	7.92
	Ireland	9.00	8.13	6.36	6.15	6.25	6.11	0.00	0.00
	Italy	3.11	3.07	7.56	7.53	3.59	3.40	9.47	9.55
	Netherlands	7.85	8.15	6.70	5.62	5.73	5.50	9.00	6.67
	Portugal	1.73	1.72	3.75	3.69	1.33	1.00	5.67	5.63
	Spain	2.79	3.18	3.33	3.81	2.68	3.28	9.57	9.68
	Sweden	6.18	5.93	4.27	4.08	4.34	4.25	0.00	0.00
	UK	8.03	8.05	5.76	5.65	5.73	5.64	0.00	0.00
Production	Austria	1440	1400	3340	3280	860	900	1960	1900
	Bel/Lux	1710	1550	975	1020	380	370	520	550
	Denmark	4040	4700	4750	4830	4080	4100	0	0
	Finland	570	550	3260	3040	1740	1650	0	0
	France	39000	36500	29990	29875	11000	11000	16200	16200
	Germany	20800	21000	22620	22450	11000	11600	3600	3700
	Greece	1160	1230	1405	1515	430	430	840	950
	Ireland	900	610	1145	1200	1000	1070	0	0
	Italy	7400	7100	12615	12260	1240	1140	10800	10600
	Netherlands	1060	1100	650	590	315	330	270	200
	Portugal	390	310	995	995	20	10	850	900
	Spain	6700	7500	13915	15765	8300	10000	4400	4500
	Sweden	2100	2550	3355	3140	1780	1700	0	0
	UK	16050	14900	7055	7040	6190	6200	0	0
Total Area Harvested	EU-15	17675	17280	19283	19215	10565	10750	4365	4345
Total Yield	EU-15	5.85	5.84	5.50	5.57	4.58	4.70	9.04	9.09
Total Production	EU-15	103320	101000	106070	107000	48335	50500	39440	39500

Mixed Grains, Oats, Rye and Sorghum Statistics

EU-15		Mixed		Oats		Rye		Sorghum
	Country Name	2002	2003	2002	2003	2002	2003	2002	2003
Area Harvested	Austria	41	40	31	30	50	45	0	0
	Bel/Lux	8	10	4	10	1	1	0	0
	Denmark	40	40	55	60	50	50	0	0
	Finland	0	0	450	440	30	30	0	0
	France	270	280	145	130	29	30	70	70
	Germany	595	560	235	230	730	550	0	0
	Greece	0	0	45	45	15	15	0	0
	Ireland	0	0	20	20	0	0	0	0
	Italy	0	0	145	150	3	4	35	30
	Netherlands	5	5	3	5	4	5	0	0
	Portugal	0	0	65	65	35	35	0	0
	Spain	30	30	475	480	111	100	8	10
	Sweden	60	45	290	300	25	25	0	0
	UK	15	15	125	120	5	10	0	0
Yield	Austria	4.88	4.50	3.87	4.00	4.00	4.00	0.00	0.00
	Bel/Lux	6.25	5.00	5.00	4.50	5.00	5.00	0.00	0.00
	Denmark	4.25	4.50	4.91	5.00	4.60	5.00	0.00	0.00
	Finland	0.00	0.00	3.22	3.00	2.33	2.33	0.00	0.00
	France	5.52	5.50	5.03	4.54	4.66	4.00	6.21	6.07
	Germany	5.55	5.71	4.34	4.35	5.07	5.36	0.00	0.00
	Greece	0.00	0.00	2.22	2.22	2.33	2.33	0.00	0.00
	Ireland	0.00	0.00	7.25	6.50	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
	Italy	0.00	0.00	2.41	2.13	3.33	2.50	6.14	6.33
	Netherlands	6.00	6.00	5.00	3.00	5.00	3.00	0.00	0.00
	Portugal	0.00	0.00	1.38	0.77	1.00	1.00	0.00	0.00
	Spain	3.00	2.33	1.93	2.08	1.53	1.60	5.00	3.50
	Sweden	4.33	4.00	4.10	3.80	5.00	4.80	0.00	0.00
	UK	5.00	4.67	6.08	6.00	6.00	5.00	0.00	0.00
Production	Austria	200	180	120	120	200	180	0	0
	Bel/Lux	50	50	20	45	5	5	0	0
	Denmark	170	180	270	300	230	250	0	0
	Finland	0	0	1450	1320	70	70	0	0
	France	1490	1540	730	590	135	120	435	425
	Germany	3300	3200	1020	1000	3700	2950	0	0
	Greece	0	0	100	100	35	35	0	0
	Ireland	0	0	145	130	0	0	0	0
	Italy	0	0	350	320	10	10	215	190
	Netherlands	30	30	15	15	20	15	0	0
	Portugal	0	0	90	50	35	35	0	0
	Spain	90	70	915	1000	170	160	40	35
	Sweden	260	180	1190	1140	125	120	0	0
	UK	75	70	760	720	30	50	0	0
Total Area Harvested	EU-15	1064	1025	2088	2085	1088	900	113	110
Total Yield	EU-15	5.32	5.37	3.44	3.29	4.38	4.44	6.11	5.91
Total Production	EU-15	5665	5500	7175	6850	4765	4000	690	650

For crop conditions in the European Union and throughout the world, visit Crop Explorer

For current and historical official USDA data on production, supply and distribution of agricultural commodities for the European Union and much of the world, visit PS&D Online

For more information, contact Jim Tringe james.tringe@usda.gov
with the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division, at (202)720-0882