Poland's Grain Chamber said on Tuesday it had trimmed its 2006 grain harvest estimate to around 25.2 million tonnes from the previously forecast 27.5 million tonnes due to continuing dry, hot weather last month.
The latest estimate by the Chamber shows that it expects this year's cereals output, including maize, to fall some 1.7 million tonnes from 26.9 million tonnes harvested last year.
"Total grain production, with maize, is likely to fall around six percent from last year to 25.2 million tonnes," the Chamber's head Bogdan Judzinski told Reuters in an interview.
"Temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius, virtually without rain, mean negative consequences for basic grains, such as wheat or barley, which we see at around 23.2 million tonnes," he said.
"But we have to bear in mind that the condition of grains differs a lot across the country, there are regions where the drought caused serious damages and areas where crops were almost untouched," he added. The Chamber's latest forecast puts the average yield for wheat at 3.695 tonnes per hectare, barley at 2.857 tonnes and both rye and oats at 2.25 tonnes.
Last week, the Central Statistical Office said Poland's grain output without maize is expected to fall to 23.2-24.2 million tonnes, adding that the area sown with basic grains rose 2.5 percent compared to last year.
Judzinski said the Chamber expected maize output to hold flat at 1.9 million tonnes this year, predicting average yield at 5.8 tonnes per hectare. "The heatwave and drought means that maize in some regions will have to be harvested earlier than usual to avoid further losses," he said.
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