German agricultural enterprises have sown winter grains on 4.9 million hectares of arable land for the 2024 harvest, according to the Statistical Federal Office (Destatis). Compared to the previous year, this represents a decrease of 3.9% or 196,500 hectares. The key insights are as follows:
- Winter Wheat Decline: The sowing area for winter wheat, the most significant grain type in Germany, decreased by 7.3% to 2.6 million hectares. The only exception was Saarland, which saw an increase of 6.5%.
- Regional Disparities: Moist soils hindered sowing, particularly in Lower Saxony (-16.6%), Schleswig-Holstein (-20.9%), and Bavaria (-4.8%).
- Other Grain Types: The sowing area for rye and winter mixed grain decreased by 4.4% to 600,700 hectares. The sowing of Triticale remained stable at 333,500 hectares. Winter barley expanded by 2.5% to 1.3 million hectares.
- Rapeseed Cultivation: The cultivation area for winter rapeseed reduced by 4.7% to 1.1 million hectares.
The declines are attributed to moist soils during sowing, resulting in poor field accessibility, and current market conditions. These preliminary results are based on reports from harvest and operational correspondents until the end of November 2023, providing insights into farmers’ cultivation decisions for the upcoming harvest season.
https://www.destatis.de/DE/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/2023/12/PD23_499_41241.html