This year's harvest of autumn crops will be lower than last year, a significant increase is expected only for potatoes

The third adjusted estimate confirmed an even greater year-on-year decrease in the total production of corn for grain, sunflower and sugar beet. On the contrary, potato yields per hectare will significantly exceed last year's values, as well as the average for the last 5 years.

According to a new estimate, the total production of the second most cultivated crop in Slovakia, corn for grain, should reach almost 982 thousand tons. Year-on-year, the harvest will thus decrease by 11%, despite a slight increase in the sown area. Compared to the second estimate, farmers reduced the estimations of the expected harvest of this commodity even more. The third estimate of yield was carried out by the Statistical Office of the SR as of September 15, 2024.

The estimated corn yields are 6.63 tons per hectare, which is by 17% less than last year and about 8% lower than the average yields over the past 5 years.

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A similar trend is also expected for corn and its mixtures for green and silage, where producers expect a total yield of almost 1.7 million tons from a comparable acreage with last year, which is almost by 15% less year-on-year. The hectare yield of 28.9 tons should reach 92% of last year's value, but still slightly above the 5-year average.

On the contrary, positive results were recorded by potatoes. Farmers increased their estimates of the total production of other potatoes (excluding early potatoes), which should reach 145 thousand tons, which is approximately by 35% (by 37.7 thousand tons) more than last year. The expected average yield of 29.5 tons per hectare should be higher by 18% than last year and at the same time by almost 27% above the average yield of the last 5 years. The area planted with potatoes increased by 11.5% year-on-year to 4.9 thousand hectares.

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According to the third estimate, the sunflower harvest should be a little lower than expected in August. It is estimated that the total production of sunflower will reach almost 160 thousand. tons, which is less than last year, despite the year-on-year increase in the sown area by 6.4% to 64 thousand hectares. Expected yields at the level of 2.49 tons per hectare decreased by 10% compared to last year and are at the same time by 3% lower than the average of the last 5 years.

Lower yields per hectare also affected the production of technical sugar beet, which is expected to decrease by 4% year-on-year to the level of 1.35 million tons. Despite the 8% increase in the sown area, the expected yield will reach 57 tons per hectare, which is by more than 6 tons less than last year, but still at the level of the 5-year average.