Based on the second estimate of this year’s harvest as at 15 July, it is expected that the production of basic cereals will be 6 995 thousand tonnes and the production of rape 1 079 thousand tonnes. Compared to the last year’s harvest, the production of basic cereals is by 293 thousand tonnes lower (−4.0%) and the production of rape by 166 thousand tonnes lower (−13.3%). Contrarily, expected poppy harvest of 31 thousand tonnes is the highest for the last ten years.

The production of basic cereals (excluding grain maize) estimated to be 6 995 thousand tonnes, is by 293 thousand tonnes lower (−4.0%) compared to the harvest of the previous year. Both a lower per hectare yield of 5.66 t/ha (−2.9%) and a smaller sowing area of 1 235 thousand hectares (−1.2%) contribute to the production decrease. Expected production of basic cereals is by 1.1% lower compared to the average harvest for the last ten years (the sowing area −4.1%; the per hectare yield +3.1%).

“Even despite considerably slower progress of harvests caused by frequent rains, farmers were more optimistic in their harvest estimates than a month ago. Compared to the first estimate from June, the harvest estimate of basic cereals increased in July by 227 thousand tonnes to 7 million tonnes thanks to more favourable per hectare yields,” Renata Vodičková, Head of the Agricultural and Forestry Statistics Unit, said.

The expected harvest of all kinds of winter cereals is lower, year-on-year. Production of the most spread cereal, winter wheat, will be 4 322 thousand tonnes, by 477 thousand tonnes less compared to the previous year (−9.9%). It is mainly due to a decrease in its sowing areas and also owing to the drop of the per hectare yield to 6.09 t/ha (−1.8%). Winter barley is estimated to be harvested in the amount of 632 thousand tonnes (−9.4%) with the per hectare yield of 5.70 t/ha (−6.4%), triticale 204 thousand tonnes (−4.4%) with the per hectare yield of 4.99 t/ha (−1.6%), and rye 134 thousand tonnes (−22.5%) with the per hectare yield of 5.31 t/ha (−3.1%).

Conversely, the estimate of spring cereals harvest is more favourable. The estimated harvest of spring wheat of 373 thousand tonnes is (thanks to both considerable increase of its sowing area and a higher per hectare yield of 4.96 t/ha (+15.1%) compared to the previous year) more than three times higher. The harvest of oats of 212 thousand tonnes is by 15.5% higher, year-on-year, thanks to an increase in its sowing area even despite its estimated lower per hectare yield of 3.67 t/ha (−6.4%). The harvest of spring barley is almost on the same level as in the previous year; the production is expected to be 1 117 thousand tonnes (−0.1%) with the per hectare yield of 5.18 t/ha (+0.6%).

The rape production estimated to be 1 079 thousand tonnes is by 166 thousand tonnes lower (−13.3%) than the last year’s harvest. It is because its sowing area has considerably decreased to 342 thousand hectares (−7.0%) and also its expected per hectare yield of 3.15 t/ha is lower (−6.8%). The estimate of rape production is by 15.1% lower compared to the ten-year average (the sowing area −12.1%; the per hectare yield −3.4%). The up-to-date July estimate of the rape production does not differ much from the first estimate. The per hectare yield has slightly increased from 3.13 t/ha to 3.15 t/ha and the expected harvest thus increased compared to the June estimate only by almost 8 thousand tonnes (+0.7%).

“The estimated harvest of poppy of 31 thousand tonnes is the highest for the last ten years. Up to now, the record high poppy production was achieved in 2008, when almost 50 thousand tonnes of poppy were harvested,” Dagmar Lhotská from the Agricultural and Forestry Statistics Unit said. This year’s poppy sowing area increased to 44 thousand hectares (+9.0%) and the expected per hectare yield of 0.71 t/ha is on the same level as in the previous year. This year’s expected poppy production is by 8.2% higher, year-on-year, thanks to the increase in the sowing area and it considerably exceeds the average of harvests for the last ten years (the harvest +41.4%; the sowing area +46.0%; the per hectare yield −2.8%).

More detailed information also about estimated per hectare yields and the production of field peas for grain, selected varieties of fruit and vegetables in the Czech Republic as a whole and broken down by Region are given in the related publication: ‘Harvest Estimates – Operative Report as at 15 July 2021’. Refined (updated) estimates of production supplemented by an estimate of production of other crops (grain maize and green and silage maize, potatoes, sugar beet, sunflower for seed, and soya) will be published by the Czech Statistical Office on 10 September 2021.

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