Harvest forecast - September 2005

Based on findings of 15 September 2005, the Czech Statistical Office estimates the production of cereals at 8 063 thousand tonnes, potatoes 995 thousand tonnes, sugar beet 3 543 thousand tonnes, rape 835 thousand tonnes and green and silage maize 6 597 thousand tonnes. Compared to the record-breaking final harvest in 2004, the total production of cereals will be by 707 thousand tonnes lower (-8.1%). Only production of grain maize is expected to be up by 23 thousand tonnes (+4.2%). Rape production is estimated down by 100 thousand tonnes (-10.7%). Production of potatoes is expected to be up by 133 thousand tonnes (+15.4%) and production of sugar beet down by 37 thousand tonnes (-1.0%). Production of green and silage maize is estimated up by 134 thousand tonnes (+2.1%).

The bad weather in the course of this year’s harvest delayed the work. The harvest of main cereals and rape was successfully completed only in September, which results in a higher estimate of cereal production than in August. The estimate of production of main cereals grew by 416 thousand tonnes (+5.9%) and reached 7 488 thousand tonnes and estimate of rape production is up by 59 thousand tonnes (+7.7%) and reached 835 thousand tonnes.

The expected yield of cereals in total is 5.09 t/ha, i.e. down 0.38 t/ha (-7.0%) on 2004. The estimated yield of grain maize is 7.19 t/ha, i.e. up by 1.06 t/ha (+17.2%).

Estimated yield of potatoes 27.58 t/ha is 3.62 t/ha up (+15.1%) on 2004 and yield of sugar beet 54.03 t/ha is 3.69 t/ha up (+7.3%). This year’s weather influenced favourably also the production of fodder plants. The expected yield of green and silage maize amounting to 31.33 t/ha is up by 1.07 t/ha (+3.5 %).

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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: 15 September 2005
End of data processing: 5 October 2005
Related publication: 2113-05 Harvest Forecast: 15 September 2005 ( https://csu.gov.cz )
Update: Next forecast of the yields and production of selected agricultural crops made as at 15 October 2005 will be released by the CZSO on 7 November 2005.