The total grain harvest in Finland this year is expected to drop by around one third due to prolonged drought, main industry body ProAgria said on Tuesday. "We are talking about estimated harvest losses of 30-40 percent," researcher Sari Peltonen of ProAgria told Reuters.
Finland's 2005 grains harvest was 4 million tonnes. "The average harvest of grain will be less than 3 tonnes per hectare. That is the lowest we've had so far this decade," she added.
ProAgria had told Reuters on Monday that the grain harvest would be badly hit by dry weather which has lasted throughout June and July. Grains have matured early because of the drought, ProAgria said in its report, adding that the barley harvest was worst hit.
"Rains would be welcome to secure the second harvest of feed and for vegetable, potato and sugarbeet. For grain, rain would probably only cause harmful sprouting and moulding," ProAgria said in its grain review.
The threshing of barley and autumn wheat has already begun in the south-west of Finland. Elsewhere in southern Finland, threshing will begin within a week. In central Finland, it is expected to begin in two weeks' time, it said.