EU-28: Grain and Feed Update
With some Member States starting to publish provisional harvest estimates for 2015, the total MY2015/16 EU-28 grain crop is revised up to 306.8 MMT, 2.2 MMT above previous expectations. Both the wheat and barley harvests are now estimated up on previous forecasts, by over 1.7 MMT and nearly 0.7 MMT, respectively. Interestingly, both are of a similar size to MY2014/15. In contrast, the corn harvest forecast is lowered 500,000 MT to just 57.5 MMT, the smallest crop since MY2007/08, and a reflection of the challenging growing conditions faced by much of the crop through the summer months. The plentiful supplies of domestic wheat and barley in MY2015/16 but much reduced supply of corn means the focus is now turning to usage within the EU-28 and the likely implications for trade.