Harvest forecast - October 2005

Based on findings of 15 October 2005, the Czech Statistical Office estimates the production of cereals at 8 062 thousand tonnes of which grain maize 574 thousand tonnes, potatoes at 1 070 thousand tonnes, sugar beet at 3 409 thousand tonnes and hay from permanent grass growth at 2 869 thousand tonnes.

In comparison to the extraordinary harvest of 2004, this year’s estimate of cereal production in total is by 709 thousand tonnes lower (-8.1%), of which grain maize production should be by 22 thousand tonnes higher (+4%). The total potato production estimate is up by 208 thousand tonnes (+24.1%) y-o-y, whereas sugar beet production estimate is down by 171 thousand tonnes (-4.8%). Production of hay from permanent grass growth is expected by 100 thousand tonnes higher (+3.6%) y-o-y.

The weather conditions in autumn 2005 extended the growing season of late potatoes and affected favourably the course of the harvest. Compared to the preceding estimate, expected potato production rose by 75 thousand tonnes (+7.5%) in October.

The total expected yield of cereals amounting to 5.09 t/ha is by 0.38 t/ha (-7.0%) lower y-o-y. The estimated yield of grain maize 7.17 t/ha is higher by 1.04 t/ha (+17.0%). The expected yield of potatoes 29.65 t/ha is 5.69 t/ha up (+23.8%) on 2004 and yield of sugar beet 51.98 t/ha is 1.64 t/ha up (+3.3%). The estimated yield of hay from permanent grass growth 3.36 t/ha is 0.13 t/ha up (+4.2%) y-o-y.

---

Note
Contact: Jiří Hrbek, phone (+420) 274 052 331, e-mail: hrbek@gw.czso.cz
Data source: CZSO sample survey in businesses farming agricultural land
End of data collection: 17 October 2005
End of data processing: 3 November 2005
Related publication: 2114-05 Harvest Forecast: 15 October 2005 ( https://csu.gov.cz )
Updating procedure: Final Figures on Farm Crop Harvest in 2005 will be published by the Czech Statistical Office in January 2006.