HAMBURG: Germany’s winter wheat sown area for the 2025 harvest has been increased by 12.3% on the year to about 2.8 million hectares, Germany’s national statistics agency estimated on Friday.

Winter rapeseed sowings for the 2025 crop were increased by 2.3% to some 1.11 million hectares, the agency said. Analysts had expected an expansion of Germany’s sown area. Decent autumn sowing weather allowed farmers to plant the crops they had intended, while in autumn 2023 rain had hindered sowings for 2024 crops, especially in wheat. Germany is the European Union’s second largest wheat producer after France, and a major exporter.

It is one of the EU’s largest producers of rapeseed, Europe’s most important oilseed for edible oil and biodiesel production. German sowings of winter barley, largely used for animal feed, were down by 5.4% to 1.2 million hectares, the agency said.

Farmers have been turning to higher-value wheat and rapeseed. Plantings of winter grains of all types were expanded 5.6% to 4.83 million hectares, the agency added.