Based on the first estimates of this year’s harvest as at 10 June, it is expected that the production of basic cereals will be 7 019 thous. tonnes and the production of rape 1 239 thous. tonnes. Compared to the last year’s harvest, the production of basic cereals is expected to be by 550 thous. tonnes higher (+8.5%), while the production of rape is estimated to be by 172 thous. tonnes lower (−12.2%).

The estimated production of basic cereals (excluding grain maize) in an amount of 7 019 thous. tonnes is by 550 thous. tonnes higher (+8.5%) than the last year’s production. The year-on-year (y-o-y) increase in the production has been mainly owing to an increase in the average per hectare yield to 5.52 t/ha (+6.8%). Higher per hectare yields compared to the last year are expected at all surveyed cereals. The total area under basic cereals increased to 1 272 thous. hectares (+1.8%). The sowing area of winter cereals is higher compared to the one in the year 2018, while spring cereals were sown on a smaller area.
This year’s production of basic cereals is estimated to be slightly higher (+1.0%) than the average harvest for the last ten years thanks to a higher yield (+4.3%) despite a decrease in the area (−3.2%). In the comparison with a five-year average, which includes extraordinarily high harvests in 2014, 2015, and 2016, the estimate of this year’s production is by 4.4% lower.

The most frequent crop on fields in the Czech Republic is again winter wheat, which covers a third of the total area under crops (33.1%). Its estimated harvest of 4 741 thous. tonnes is by 513 thous. tonnes higher (+12.1%), y-o-y. The production increase is due to an increase of both in the expected per hectare yield to 5.82 t/ha (+6.6%) and in the sowing area to 815 thous. hectares (+5.3%).
On the contrary, spring wheat production is estimated to be substantially lower, because its sowing area dropped to 25 thous. hectares (−45.8%). The harvest of 117 thous. tonnes is thus by 38.8% lower than in 2018, even despite an increase of its per hectare yield by 12.8% to 4.67 t/ha.

The sowing area of spring barley is also smaller than in 2018; this year it is grown on 212 thous. hectares (−4.6%). Therefore, despite its higher per hectare yield of 5.11 t/ha (+3.7%) the expected production of spring barley in the amount of 1 083 thous. tonnes is by 1.2% lower.
The winter barley production in 2019 is expected to be 574 thous. tonnes; it is by 12.5% more, y-o-y, thanks to a higher per hectare yield of 5.33 t/ha (+7.0%) and because the sowing area increased to 108 thous. hectares (+5.0%).

The rye production expected to be 158 thous. tonnes is by almost a third higher (+31.9%) compared to 2018, because its sowing area increased to 31 thous. hectares (+22.8%) and also owing to a higher per hectare yield of 5.09 t/ha (+7.4%).

The expected harvest of oats of 154 thous. tonnes remains almost the same as in 2018 (+0.6%). Its sowing area has slightly decreased by 0.7% to 43 thous. hectares and the estimated per hectare yield of 3.61 t/ha is 1.4% up, y-o-y.

The production of triticale this year is estimated to be 192 thous. tonnes; it is by 11.7% higher as a result of an increase in the per hectare yield to 4.85 t/ha (+6.6%) as well as in its area to 40 thous. hectares (+4.8%).

Rape is the second most frequently sown crop (the first one is winter wheat); this year, it is sown on 15.4% of the total area under crops. The rape sowing area has decreased by 7.8% y-o-y, to 380 thous. hectares. Due to the decrease in the area and owing to its lower per hectare yield of 3.26 t/ha (−5.0%) the expected production of 1 239 thous. tonnes is by 12.2% lower than last year’s above-average harvest. The estimated rape production is comparable to the ten-year average (harvest −0.7%; sowing area −1.9%; yield +1.2%). However, compared to the average of the last five years, this year’s estimated harvest is by 7.7% lower (sowing area −2.8%; yield −5.0%).

More detailed information on estimated per hectare yields and production of selected crops in the Czech Republic as a whole and broken down by Region are given in the related publication: Harvest Estimates – Operative Report as at 10 June 2019. Information on the area and structure of sowing areas is released in the publication: Areas under Crops Survey – 2019.
 

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Notes:
Responsible head at the CZSO: Jiří Hrbek, (+420) 274 052 331, e-mail: jiri.hrbek@czso.cz
Contact person: Jiří Hrbek, (+420) 274 052 331, e-mail: jiri.hrbek@czso.cz
Data source: Statistical survey – Harvest Estimates (Zem V6) and Areas under Crops Survey (Osev 3-01)
End of data collection: 10 June 2019
End of data processing: 2 July 2019
Related publications: Harvest Estimates – Operative Report as at 10 June 2019
https://www.czso.cz/csu/czso/harvest-estimates-operative-report-as-at-10-june-2019
Areas under Crops Survey – 2019
https://www.czso.cz/csu/czso/areas-under-crops-survey-as-at-31-may-2019
Update procedure: Harvest Estimates – July 2019; to be published on 13 August 2019