Based on the estimates of harvest as at 15 September 2015 a one third drop in the production of potatoes, sugar beet, and maize is assumed. The expected production of potatoes is 488 thous. tonnes (-30.0%), the production of industrial sugar beet shall be 2 975 thous. tonnes (-32.8%), the production of grain maize shall be 555 thous. tonnes
(-33.3%), and green and silage maize harvest is to be 6 621 thous. tonnes (-30.9%).

The estimated production as at 15 September 2015 confirmed a very good harvest of basic cereals, except for grain maize, of 7 848 thous. tonnes which is by 1.1% (-86 thous. tonnes) lower than last year above-average one but is by 16.6% higher than the ten-year average. The per hectare yield of 6.02 tonnes per hectare is by 1.1% lower than the last year one and the area under basic cereals was 1 303 thous. hectares and thus remained virtually at the level of the previous year.

While the dry and warm weather conditions in the vegetation season had no adverse impact on the production of basic cereals, in maize and root crops is it entirely opposite. A drop by around one third is assumed in production of these commodities compared year-on-year (y-o-y).

The first estimated production of grain maize in an amount of 555 thous. tonnes of grain is by one third (-33.3%) lower compared to the last year one, namely due to a drop in the per hectare yield by 29.7% to 5.93 t/ha and the area under grain maize also fell to 94 thous. hectares
(-5.2%).

The expected production of green and silage maize of 6 621 thous. tonnes is by 30.9% lower, y-o-y. The expected per hectare yield of 28.62 t/ha (-29.1%) is the lowest since 2003. The area under these crops slightly decreased by 2.5% to 231 thous. hectares.

The estimated production of potatoes of 488 thous. tonnes is by almost a third lower (-30.0%) y-o-y, and it is the lowest potatoes production since the census statistical measurements began in 1920. The per hectare yield this year is to be 21.53 tonnes (-25.9%), that is by 7.54 t/ha less than that in the last year. The sowing area of potatoes recorded a year-on-year decrease to 23 thous. hectares (-5.5%). The estimated production of potatoes is by 34.1% lower compared to the ten-year average. The drop is contributed by both decline in the sowing area by 19.3% and in the per hectare yield that is lower by 18.4%.

The estimated harvest of industrial sugar beet of 2 975 thous. tonnes is by 1 450 thous. tonnes lower (-32.8%) than the last year above-average production. If compared to the ten-year average it is by 13.6% lower. The per hectare yield plummeted by 26.5% to 51.64 t/ha. The area under industrial sugar beet also decreased by 8.5% to 58 thous. hectares, y-o-y.

This year rape production is 1 266 thous. tonnes, which is by 17.7% less than the previous year yet by 14.7% higher than the ten-year average. The production decline can be assigned to both a lower per hectare yield of 3.46 t/ha (-12.4%), compared to the last year record-breaking one and to the area under this crop reduced to 366 thous. hectares (-5.9%)

The expected production of poppy seed has increased to 27 thous. tonnes (+9.0%), y-o-y due to an increase in the sowing area of this crop by one fifth to 33 thous. hectares (+20.8%) while the expected per hectare yield is assumed to drop to 0.82 t/ha (-9.9%), y-o-y.

The estimated production of sunflower for seed at 33 thous. tonnes is by 23.0% lower than its harvest in 2014. The sowing area of this crop was reduced by 17.0% to 15 thous. hectares and the per hectare yield fell to 2.11 t/ha (-7.0%), y-o-y.

The production of grain peas shall be significantly higher than the last year and is estimated to be at around 81 thous. tonnes (+88.7%). The production increase goes mostly to the expanded sowing area of this crop to 24 thous. hectares (+65.2%) and also an increase in the per hectare yield to 3.38 t/ha (+14.2%).

More detailed information on estimated per hectare yields and production, also of selected varieties of fruit and vegetables in the Czech Republic as a whole, and broken by region are given in the following publication ‘Harvest Forecasts – Operative Report as at 15 September 2015’.