EU 2015 maize crop looking good, but down from 2014

The European Union's 2015 plantings of the animal feed grain maize (corn) are developing well but this year's crop will be below the record 2014 harvest, industry experts said on Thursday. "Overall the maize picture is positive with a good average harvest likely but we are not likely to match the record crop last year," one European trader said. "This could mean a larger EU import need."
The EU's 2015 grain maize harvest will reach 68.0 million tonnes, down from the record 75.6 million tonnes last year, French analysts Strategie Grains forecast.
EU maize yields will fall 9 percent on the year to 7.1 tonnes a hectare, Strategie Grains estimated. But this follows a 16 percent surge in EU maize yields last year.
In France, the EU's biggest maize producer, sowing accelerated in the past week during dry weather, although the planted area is expected to fall from last year partly due to French farmers increasing wheat sowings.
French farmers should complete 40 to 80 percent of their intended sowings of grain maize by the end of this week depending on their region, Gilles Espagnol of maize growers group AGPM said.
This was up from just 2 percent estimated on April 6 by farm office FranceAgriMer.
France's grain maize area could decrease by 4 to 6 percent on the year as farmers turn to other crops, Espagnol said.
France harvested a record 18.2 million tonnes of grain maize last year on 1.75 million hectares.
The recent rapid field work would give maize a relatively early start to the growing season helping yield potential, Espagnol said.
Germany's 2015 harvest will drop to 4.7 million tonnes from 5.1 million tonnes last year, Germany's farm co-operatives association forecast.
"A good average crop is coming but not a repeat of last year's fantastic yields," one analyst said. "Sowings are making good progress after frosts initially caused delays and should be finished around the end of April."
"The mild winter means there is little need to replant frost-damaged grains with spring crops such as maize."
Italian maize sowings have begun well and are going at full speed in favourable weather in north-east Italy, a main growing region, crop research institute Ismea said.
"The first impression of traders in the sector seems to confirm a forecast for a reduction in planted area of maize, in favour of soybeans which is more competitive," Ismea said.