Harvest Forecast - September 2009

Based on forecasts made on 15 September 2009 the Czech Statistical Office is expecting the total production of 7 713 thousand tonnes of cereals, of which 704 thousand tonnes of grain maize. Compared to the last year harvest it is down by 7.7% for cereals and down by 18 % for gain maize. Harvest of rape in the amount of 1 135 tonnes suggests a record harvest in the history of the Czech Republic, the expected total potatoes production is 777 thousand tonnes, i.e. the same as the last year.
The total forecasted production of cereals in the amount of 7 713 thousand tonnes is by 642 thousand tonnes down compared to 2008 confirming the previous harvest estimates of main cereals. The first this year’s estimate for harvest of gain maize (704 thousand tonnes) is 154 thousand tonnes down (-18%), y-o-y, due to diminishing of production area by 19.5%. The average yield of cereals is expected at 5.08 t/ha and is by 6.3% lower compared to 2008. The yield of gain maize increased by 1.9% to 7.68 t/ha, compared to 2008.

Estimated total harvest of potatoes is 777 thousand tonnes, which is approximately the same as the last year (+0.9%) under expected yield 27.04 t/ha (last year 25.83%). The harvest forecast for industrial sugar beet is 2 772 thousand tonnes which is by 122 thousand tonnes (-3.9%) lower compared to the last year. The expected yield 52.84 t/ha is 4.42 t/ha down (-7.7%), compared to the year 2008.

The forecasted production of rape, the most spread oil plant, is 1 135 thousand tonnes (last year 1 049 tonnes). This is a record harvest, which is due to the second highest average yield per hectare in the history – 3.20 tonnes (last year 2.94 tonnes). Compared to 2008, a significant decrease of expected production of poppy is reported (-31.7%) to reach 34 thousand tonnes, which is due to diminishing area under poppy by 23.2% to 54 thousand hectares and also to a decrease of the yield per hectare from 0.7 tonnes to 0.63 tonnes.

This year for the first time the production of green and silage maize was estimated. Under the expected record yield 36.14 t/ha it should reach 6 494 thousand tonnes (last year 6 144 tonnes).

More detailed information – broken down by region – including yield and production forecast for selected fruits and vegetables is available in the related publication Harvest Forecast – September 2009.

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Notes
Contact: Jiří Hrbek, tel. (+420) 274 052 331, e-mail: jiri.hrbek@csu.gov.cz
Data source: CZSO sample survey in farming businesses
End of data collection: 15 September 2009
End of data processing: 9 October 2009
Related tables: Harvest forecast – September 2009 (more detailed information concerning yield and production forecast for selected fruits and early potatoes - also at /produkty/harvest-forecast-september-6s8g6q9h98 )
Update procedure: The next harvest forecast for selected crops as at 15 October 2009 will be released by the Czech Statistical Office on 6 November 2009.