Maize output in Italy, Europe's second-biggest producer after France, rose 6.7 percent to 10.51 million tonnes in 2008, boosted by improved yields and a larger sown area, agricultural research centre ISMEA said.
Average yields per hectare rose to 9.7 tonnes from 9.3 tonnes in 2007, while maize-planted areas increased to 1.09 million hectares from 1.05 million hectares, ISMEA said in a report published this week. ISMEA's total maize output estimate, based on a survey of yields at 1,000 farms, is slightly above a 10.37 million tonne estimate published by Italian statistics agency ISTAT last week.
Italy's north-western regions have seen a 10.5 percent rise in output to around 4.67 million tonnes, north-eastern regions' output rose 5.6 percent to 5.08 million tonnes, while output dropped 6.2 percent to 767,380 tonnes in central and southern regions, ISMEA said. Average producer prices dropped to about 149 euros per tonne of maize in September, down 20 percent from August and 36 percent from September 2007, under pressure from strong crops in Italy and other countries, ISMEA said.