The estimated production of basic cereals (excluding grain maize) in an amount of 6 945 thous. tonnes of grain is by 785 thous. tonnes (- 10.1%) lower than the last year very good production. The year-on-year decrease in the production has been caused mostly by an expected decline in the per hectare yield to 5.50 t/ha (- 10.1%). A lower per hectare yield is assumed in all species of cereals except for spring wheat and oat. The total areas under crop of basic cereals of 1 262 thous. hectares remained almost the same (- 0.1%) as in the previous year. Owing to bad wintering and more frequent resowing the area of winter cereals (winter wheat, winter barley, and triticale) was reduced and, on the contrary, areas of spring cereals (spring wheat, spring barley, and oat) increased. This year estimated production of basic cereals is comparable to the ten-year average (– 0.8%) and is by 3.2% lower than the average harvest for the last five years.

Winter wheat, which is sown on one third of the total areas under crops (31.8%), remains the most widely spread crop on our country fields. Its estimated harvest is 4 612 thous. tonnes and that is by 703 thous. tonnes (- 13.2%) lower than that in 2016. The decline in production is due to both a decrease in the estimated per hectare yield by 10.7% to 5.87 t/ha and a smaller area under this crop by 2.9% of 785 thous. hectares.

The area under crop of spring wheat expanded by over a half to 47 thous. hectares (+ 52.2%) and moved close to a usual level thereof. Compared to the average of the last five years this year area is by 2.1% smaller. Owing the aforementioned important increase in the area under this crop year-on-year, and also a slight increase in the expected per hectare yield of 4.56 t/ha (+ 0.4%), its assumed production is to grow in a significant manner to 212 thous. tonnes (+ 52.7%).

The expected production of spring barley is in an amount of 1 162 thous. tonnes, it is by 46 thous. tonnes (- 3.8%) lower than the last year one. Its sowing area was broadened by 4.0% to 231 thous. hectares, (y-o-y), while the assumed per hectare yield fell to 5.04 t/ha
(- 7.5%).

This year expected production of winter barley is assumed to be almost one fifth lower at the level of 517 thous. tonnes (- 19.0%). The decrease is caused by an assumed reduction of the per hectare yield by 13.2% to 5.32 t/ha as well as of its sowing area by 6.6% to 97 thous. hectares.

The assumed rye production at 108 thous. tonnes (+ 3.2%) is higher than the last year one due to an expansion in the rye sowing area to 22 thous. hectares (+ 6.1%) this year. Its estimated per hectare yield fell to 4.85 t/ha (- 2.6%).

The expected harvest of oat shall by be over one fifth higher (+ 23.6%) to give 163 thous. tonnes compared to the harvest of 2016. The assumed increase in production goes to both an expanded sowing area to 44 thous. hectares (+ 17.3%) and estimated increase in the per hectare yield of 3.71 t/ha (+ 5.4%), compared to those of the last year.

The production of triticale in this year is estimated to 171 thous. tonnes (- 11.4%), y-o-y due to a decline both in the estimated average per hectare yield of 4.72 t/ha (- 3.3.%) and in its sowing area of 36 thous. hectares (- 8.4%).

Rape is the most frequently cultivated crop but winter wheat. This year it is sown on 16.0% of the total areas under crops, the same area as in the last year. Its sowing area has been slightly increased to 394 thous. hectares (+ 0.3%) and it is the third highest value in the monitoring history. The expected production of rape of 1 254 thous. tonnes is by 105 thous. tonnes lower
(- 7.7%) y-o-y, due to a decline in its estimated per hectare yield of 3.18 t/ha (- 8.1%). The estimated rape production is by 4.5% higher than the ten-year average (sowing area + 4.9%; per hectare yield – 0.4%) yet compared to the average of the last five years this year estimated harvest is by 6.5% lower (sowing area + 0.1%; per hectare yield - 6.6%).

More detailed information on estimated per hectare yields and production of selected crops in the Czech Republic, as a whole and broken by region, are given in the following publication ‘Harvest Forecasts – Operative Report as at 10 June 2017’. Information on the area and structure of sowing areas is released in the publication of ‘Census of Sowing Areas - 2017’.