Morning Bites

Finland are expecting their worst harvest in a decade, according to an article in the Helsinki Times. The Scandinavian country will harvest only 3.1 MMT of grains this year, 28% down on last season. Heavy rain and hail is also seen disrupting harvest activity in some areas, they add.

The Bulgaria harvest is in full swing with around 60% of the wheat area cut so far, producing 2.3 MMT, according to the Ag Ministry. That implies final production around 3.8 MMT, only slightly down on last season's 3.9 MMT, and better than recent estimates. Heavy rains in northeastern Bulgaria earlier in July may have reduced quality somewhat, but don't appear to have cut yields as much as had been feared.

UkrAgroConsult have cut their estimate for 2010 rapeseed production in Ukraine from 1.6 MMT to 1.5 MMT, that's a decrease of 17% on last year.

In Eastern Ukraine the wheat harvest estimated around 75% done, whilst in the west it's only just underway. Overall the Ministry say that 61% of the nation's wheat has been cut as of July 23rd, producing 10.7 MMT with an average yield of 2.72 MT/ha. That would imply a final wheat crop of around 17.5 MMT, 16% down on last year. The rapeseed harvest is 78% done producing 1.17 MMT so far, say the Ministry. That would appear to confirm UkrAgroConsult's figure of a crop of 1.5 MMT this year.

In the UK, winter wheat harvesting comments filtering back from the South East report yields as "not too bad" - although lower than last season. Straw yields are "well down" according what I am hearing. Straw is clearly going to be in short supply this winter.