Harvest forecast - September 2013

Extraordinary decline in potatoe harvest

The harvest estimates as at 15 September 2013 have confirmed year-on-year increased in the production of cereals, including grain maize, to 7 651 thous. tonnes (+16.4%). The expected production of potatoes at 528 thous. tonnes is by one fifth lower (−20.2%), compared to that of the last year. The industrial sugar beet harvest should attain 3 414 thous. tonnes (−11.7%).

The first estimated production of grain maize of 753 thous. tonnes is by almost one fifth (−18.9%) lower compared to that of the last year. Area under grain maize was up to 112 thous. hectares (+2.2%) and the expected per hectare yield dropped by 13.6% to 6.72 tonnes per hectare (t/ha).
The estimated production of cereals, including grain maize, in an amount of 7 651 thous. tonnes of grain is by 1 418 thous. tonnes (+16.4%) year-on year. The expected average per hectare yield of 5.40 t/ha is by 17.6% higher than that in the last year.

The expected production of green and silage maize of 7 135 thous. tonnes is by 14.3% lower year-on-year (y-o-y). Area under these crops slightly increased to 219 thous. ha (+1.8%) and the expected per hectare yield of 32.61 t/ha is by one fifth (−19.7%) lower than the last year one.

The estimated production of potatoes dropped by 134 thous. tonnes to 528 thous. tonnes (−20.2%) y-o-y, and compared to a ten-year average it is almost by one third lower (−31.6%). Because of adverse weather conditions in this year the per hectare yield of potatoes significantly declined to 22.75 t/ha and is by 18.7% lower then that of the previous year. Sowing area of potatoes also shrank by 1.9% to 23 thous. hectares. Areas dedicated to potatoes cultivation have been declining over a long term. This year area under potatoes is almost by one fourth lower (−24.1%) compared to its ten-year average.



The estimated harvest of industrial sugar beet of 3 414 thous. tonnes is by 454 thous. tonnes below (−11.7%) the last year production due to a decline in the per hectare yield to 54.72 tonnes (−13.5%). The area under industrial sugar beet slightly increased to 62 thous. hectares (+2.0%), y-o-y.

The expected production of poppy seed shall increase to 14 thous. tonnes (+10.0%), y-o-y. Following the last year drop in the poppy sowing area this year area under poppy recorded a growth by 10.3% to 20 thous. hectares, yet the area thus still remained at the half of its value compared to a ten-year average (−54.9%). The expected per hectare yield of 0.70 t/ha is the same as in the last year.

The estimated production of sunflower for seed at 50 thous. tonnes is by 12.6% lower than its harvest in 2012. The drop in its production can be entirely accounted to the reduced sowing area of this crop by 13.6% to 21 thous. hectares while the value of the per hectare yield of 2.34 t/ha has not changed much (+1.3%).

More detailed information on estimated per hectare yields and production also of selected varieties of fruit and vegetables in the Czech Republic as a whole and broken by region are given in the following publication ‘Harvest forecasts – operative report as at 15 September 2013’.


Notes:
Contact person: Jiří Hrbek, (+420) 274 052 331, e -mail: jiri.hrbek@czso.cz
Data source: the CZSO sample survey in businesses farming agricultural land
End of data collection: 16 September 2013
End of data processing: 11 October 2013
Following outcomes: Harvest forecasts – operative report as at 15 September 2013 /csu/czso/odhady-sklizne-operativni-zprava-k-1592013-xzp5qzggho
Update procedure: The finalised data on the production of agricultural crops for 2013 will be released by the Czech Statistical Office on 14 February 2014.

Published: 14.10.2013
The data are valid as of the release date of the publication.