agriculture
Significantly expected increase in grain harvest
The German farmers can be satisfied with the grain harvest this year. Harvest quantities are likely to increase significantly. However, this has little effect on bread prices.
The German farmers are expected to reap significantly more grain this year than in the past. The German Raiffeisenverband (DRV) predicts a harvest of around 43 million tons for 2025, an increase of ten percent compared to the previous year, as DRV market expert Guido Seedler said.
“Above all, larger acreage and higher hectares have contributed to the good quantity result,” it said. In winter wheat, which stands for almost half of the entire harvest, the forecast increase is just under a quarter. Even in winter raps, the DRV experts assume by a seven percent increasing harvest quantities of 3.9 million tons.
In view of the very dry spring and the subsequent rainy weeks, the harvest year was very challenging for the farmers. The harvest losers included regions with light, sandy soils that can store less water.
No major effects for bread price
Unlike in the previous year, the amount of grain production this year should be due to consumption. Seedler emphasized that the bread prices that consumers pay at the shopping counter does not change. “The raw material costs are of relatively low importance for the final price.” With an average bread, the proportion of flour costs is only about 8 cents. To a significantly higher extent, costs for energy or bureaucracy would affect the bread price.
Harvest quantities this year are likely to increase not only in Germany, but also worldwide. For 2025, the DRV expects grain production of 2.3 billion tons worldwide after 2.2 billion tons in the previous year. That covers the consumption of the total population.
dpa
Source: Stern
