Harvest Estimates - September 2023

Potato harvest will be by a fifth lower this year compared to the last year

26.10.2023
Code: 270150-23
 

According to the latest estimate of this year’s harvest as at 30 September, the harvest of cereals after inclusion of grain maize is lower, year-on-year (−3.4%). Rape was harvested in a higher amount, year-on-year (+10.9%), whereas the estimated harvest of other oil seed crops is lower, soya by 6.3%, sunflower by 15.2%, and poppy by 18.8%. The expected harvest of potatoes and sugar beet is also lower, year-on-year (−18.6% and −7.2%, respectively) as well as the expected harvest of green maize (−14.3%).

The total harvest of cereals including grain maize in the amount of 7 930 thousand tonnes is by 3.4% lower, year-on-year (y-o-y); however, it exceeds the five-year average by 1.3%. The estimate confirms production of basic cereals in the amount of 7 403 thousand tonnes (−2.2% compared to the last year, which was above average); harvest of grain maize in the amount of 526 thousand tonnes is considerably lower (−17.7%).

“The last estimate confirmed the second highest harvest of basic cereals for the last five years. However, this year’s crop production with a later harvest date was adversely affected by dry weather during the last phase of the vegetation period. Potato harvest will be about a fifth lower compared to the previous year; maize, soya, poppy, sunflower, and fodder crops will also be harvested in lower amounts,” Dagmar Lhotská from the Agricultural and Forestry Statistics Unit of the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO) stated.

Expected production of root crops will be lower, year-on-year. The potato harvest is estimated in the amount of 533 thousand tonnes (−18.6%) and sugar beet in the amount of 3 763 thousand tonnes (−7.2%).

“A negative effect of drought and high temperatures on the harvest of sugar beet was partially eliminated by August rains; sunny and warm September had a positive effect on the sugar content. The per hectare yields of sugar beet will be further specified during the harvest by farmers,” Renata Vodičková, Head of the Agricultural and Forestry Statistics Unit of the CZSO, added.    

This year, 1 293 thousand tonnes of rape were harvested (+10.9%) thanks to an increase in the sown areas. On the other hand, production of other oil seed crops will be lower; soya production is estimated to be in the amount of 61 thousand tonnes (−6.3%), sunflower production 51 thousand tonnes (−15.2%), and poppy production in the amount of 18 thousand tonnes (−18.8%).

Expected production of fodder crops is lower than the last year’s one; green maize will be harvested in the amount of 6 527 thousand tonnes (−14.3%), lucerne in the amount of 407 thousand tonnes (−22.3%), and clover in the amount of 303 thousand tonnes (−21.8%).

For more detailed information on estimates of crop harvests see the Supplementary information to the News Release on Harvest estimates – September.

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Notes:
Responsible head at the CZSO: Radek Matějka, Director of the Agricultural and Forestry, Industrial, Construction, and Energy Statistics Department,phone number (+420) 736 168 543, e-mail: radek.matejka@czso.cz
Contact person: Renata Vodičková, Head of the Agricultural and Forestry Statistics Unit, phone number (+420) 703 824 173, e-mail: renata.vodickova@czso.cz
Data source: statistical survey of Harvest Estimates of Crops – September (Zem V9) and questionnaire on Areas under Crops (Osev 3-01)
End of data collection: 2 October 2023
End of data processing: 25 October 2023
Related publications: Harvest Estimates – Operative Report as at 30 September 2023
https://www.czso.cz/csu/czso/harvest-estimates-operative-report-as-at-30-september-2023
Areas under Crops Survey as at 31 May 2023
Areas under Crops Survey - as at 31 May 2023
Update procedure: Final data on the production of agricultural crops for 2023 will be published by the Czech Statistical Office on 23 February 2024

  • askl102623.docx

  • Annex:
  • Additional information to NR Harvest estimates
  • Table 1 Per hectare yield and production estimates (selected crops, in tonnes per hectare and tonnes, indices)
  • Table 2 Production estimates of selected crops, comparison with a five-year and a ten-year average
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Published: 26.10.2023
The data are valid as of the release date of the publication.


Contact: Information Services Unit - Headquarters, tel.: +420 274 056 789, email: infoservis@czso.cz