The yield of most crops will increase at double digit rate, in case of grain maize it will exceed even 50%

The second estimate increased the yield of densely sown cereals by 5%, especially of wheat. Significant yield growth is expected for other surveyed commodities, with the exception of field peas. Grain maize should reach 1.5 times of last year's volume, there should be more potatoes by a quarter and more sugar beet by a fifth than last year. Yields per hectare above the five-year average are expected for all selected crops, except for rye, oats, grain maize and field peas.

This year's harvest of densely sown cereals in Slovakia should be even higher than the first expectations from June of this year suggested. According to the second estimate of the yield, carried out by the Statistical Office of the SR as of August 15, 2023, when the majority of cereals, including rapeseed, had already been harvested, farmers should harvest by 469 000 tons more of densely sown cereals compared to last year and achieve a total harvest of almost 3.2 million. tons. Its double-digit year-on-year increase exceeding 17% was mainly due to significantly higher yields per hectare with a volume of 5.7 tons, which are above the average of last year and at the same time of the last five years¹⁾.

Among the other crops, a higher yield is also expected for soybean, grain maize, potatoes and sugar beet. Sunflower should reach a volume similar to last year, only pea production is expected to be lower. The estimate of the sunflower, grain maize and beet harvest will be specified in the September estimates.

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Wheat, barley and triticale exceeding the five-year averages

Farmers expect yields per hectare above the level of five-year averages, especially for wheat and barley, which have long been the most cultivated densely sown cereals in Slovakia and this year also represented up to 95% of the areas with densely sown cereals. The second estimate of the yield increased by 6.7% the June´s estimations of yield per hectare for wheat, which should thus exceed the five-year average by 18% with the average yield at the level of 6 tons per hectare. A double-digit increase in yields per hectare above the five-year average is also expected for barley with an estimated average yield of 5.4 tons per hectare and triticale with 3.9 tons per hectare.

In 2023, the total wheat harvest, which makes up three-quarters of the areas of densely sown cereals, should reach almost 2.5 million tons, which is higher by almost 20% than last year. The increase in estimated production by 400 000 tons, with a slight year-on-year decrease in sown areas, is primarily influenced by the increase in yield per hectare compared to last year by a full one ton per hectare.

The August estimation slightly increased the barley harvest, which farmers expect in the total volume of 608.4 thousand tons, which is by 9.3% more than last year. This will be the result of a slightly larger sown area year-on-year, but also of mainly higher yields per hectare. A higher yield is also expected for triticale and rye. Oat production should be approximately at the level of last year (24.2 thousand tons).

Grain maize with a significant increase

The production of the second most cultivated crop, grain maize, should increase by more than 50% and reach a total volume of 1.04 million tons. "This is a result of the average yield per hectare at the level of 7.4 tons, which is by 71% more than last year, which was significantly affected by drought. The expected yields per hectare will thus reach the value of the five-year average," said Peter Danko, the Director of the Agricultural Statistics Department of the Statistical Office of the SR. The grain maize harvest will be specified in the September third estimate of yield.

Rapeseed and soy with a significant increase in yield, sunflower at last year's level

According to the current adjusted estimated harvest, the year-on-year increase in rapeseed production will be even more significant (19.2%) and will reach 526.7 thousand tons. The reason for this is, in addition to the slightly larger sown area, the higher yield per hectare by 3.6 tons, which is more than 0.5 tons per hectare above the five-year average and also almost 14% above last year's level.

An increase by almost a third of last year's production is expected for the soybean harvest. It should reach a volume of 127.5 thousand tons, despite the year-on-year decrease in sown areas by almost 30%. The positive result is due to an estimated significant year-on-year increase in yield per hectare by 80% to 2.6 tons per hectare, which is at the same time above the five-year average of 2.2 tons per hectare.

In case of sunflower, the harvest should be approximately the same as last year, 172 thousand tons, despite the smaller sown area by almost 18%.

A higher yield of sugar beet and potatoes, field peas will be less

Technical sugar beet was sown in 2023 on an area larger by 14% than last year. The average yield per hectare will reach approximately the level of the five-year average and will be at the level of 59.7 tons per hectare. The year-on-year increase in yield per hectare as well as the increase in areas under cultivation will affect the current growth of the production of this commodity by 19.2% to the level of 1.3 million tons.

Cultivation areas of potato in the current year is similar to last year. However, a significant increase in yield per hectare is expected year-on-year, by almost a quarter to 27.5 tons per hectare. This year's yield of potato should be higher by 24.5% compared to the previous year and reach a total volume of 120.9 thousand tons.

The area of field peas sown (edible and fodder together) is higher by 25.1% than last year, but the expected lower yields per hectare, which are currently 16% below the five-year average, will be reflected into an 8.5% year-on-year decrease in total production. The pea yield should be reduced to 32.4 thousand. tons.