Pursuant to the first estimates of this year harvest as at 20 June 2015 it is supposed that the production of basic cereals is to reach an amount of 6 815 thous. tonnes of grain and the production of rape is to be 1 202 thous. tonnes. The production of basic cereals will be down by 1 120 thous. tonnes (- 14.1%) and the production of rape is expected to be lower by 335 thous. tonnes (- 21.8%), compared to the above average harvest of the last year.

The estimated production of basic cereals (excluding grain maize) in an amount of 6 815 thous. tonnes of grain is by 1 120 thous. tonnes (- 14.1%) lower than the last year above-average production. The year-on-year decrease in the production has been entirely caused by an expected decline in the per hectare yield to 5.23 t/ha (- 14.1%). A decrease in the per hectare yield, compared to the last year record one, is expected in all types of basic cereals, namely in winter barley and winter wheat. Areas under basic cereals remained on the same level as in the last year (0.0%). Significant drops in areas under crops were recorded for winter wheat, triticale, and rye, conversely, areas under crops of spring cereals expanded. This year estimated production of basic cereals is comparable to the five-year average as well as the ten-year one (+ 0.9% and + 1.3%, respectively).

Winter wheat remains the most widely spread crop on our country fields which is sown on one third of areas under crops (31.7%). Its estimated harvest is 4 391 thous. tonnes and that is by 832 thous. tonnes (- 15.9%) lower than the last year production. The decline in production is determined, first of all, by a decrease in the estimated per hectare yield by 14.7% to 5.64 t/ha, and also by a moderate reduction in its sowing area by 1.6% to 778 thous. hectares.

Areas under crop of spring wheat expanded to 52 thous. hectares (+ 14.1%) and although the estimated per hectare yield is to be lower at 4.37 t (− 9.9%) its assumed production is to grow by 2.7% to 226 thous. tonnes.

The expected production of spring barley is estimated in an amount of 1 245 thous. tonnes, it is by 131 thous. tonnes (- 9.5%) lower than the last year one. Its sowing area increased by 5.6% to 261 thous. hectares, year-on-year (y-o-y), while the assumed per hectare yield fell to 4.76 t/ha (- 14.4%).

This year expected production of winter barley is to be by 15.0% lower, y-o-y, at the level of 502 thous. tonnes. The decrease is caused by an assumed per hectare yield lower by 16.4% to 4.80 t/ha. Its sowing area slightly increased by 1.6% to 105 thous. hectares.

The assumed rye production at 102 thous. tonnes (- 21.0%) is by one fifth lower than the last year one. The rye sowing area has been reduced to 22 thous. hectares (- 12.6%) this year and is the smallest in the whole history of its monitoring. Its estimated per hectare yield is 4.64 t/ha
(- 9.6%) than the last year one.

The expected harvest of oat shall decrease by 1.8% to 149 thous. tonnes compared to that of 2014. The assumed average per hectare yield of 3.53 t/ha is by 1.9% lower and its sowing area of 42 thous. hectares (+ 0.3%) has almost unchanged compared to that of the last year.

The production of triticale in this year is estimated to 200 thous. tonnes (- 18.1%), y-o-y. The production decline is caused both by its sowing area reduced by 11.6% to 43 thous. hectares and by the estimated average per hectare yield lower by 7.4% to 4.66 t/ha.

This year farmers sown rape on 14.9% of the total areas under crops. Although its sowing area has been decreasing in the second consecutive year it still remains the second most widely cultivated crop next to winter wheat at present. Its sowing area of 366 thous. hectares fell by 5.9%, y-o-y, and its estimated per hectare yield of 3.28 t/ha is by 17.0% lower, y-o-y. The expected production of rape of 1 202 thous. tonnes by one fifth lower than the last year record-breaking one. The production will be by 335 thous. tonnes (- 21.8%) lower. Nevertheless, the estimated rape production is by 8.9% above the ten-year average yet when compared to the average for the five recent years it is by 2.7% lower due to a decline in the sowing area.

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 20 June 2015’. Information on the area and structure of sowing areas is released in the publication of ‘Census of Sowing Areas - 2015’.