Torrential spring rains in western Europe have flattened some barley crops, raising concern about grain quality and yields, but it was too early to estimate potential damage with harvesting only just getting under way, analysts said.
The impact of abundant rainfall at the end of May and early June has been a focus for European traders, concerned that winter grains may be adversely affected this year. Consultancy Strategie Grains earlier this month cut its barley crop estimates for France and Britain, which were already forecast down on last year. However, the overall EU 2016 barley crop was still expected to rise by 1.7 million tonnes above last year at 62.6 million.
Winter barley harvesting has begun in the southwest part of top European Union producer France, showing good results. But as field work progresses towards the northeast, which experienced a spring deluge, harvest results might be more mixed, said Jean-Paul Bordes from crop institute Arvalis. "The excessive rainfall has favoured lodging and we should expect significant yield differences between plots that have been flattened and those that have not," he said. Heavy rain can prompt crops to fall to the ground, in what is called lodging, with a consequent decline in quality and yields. Analysts also noted that significantly less sunshine than usual and abundant rains have favoured the spread of parasites.
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