Frosty nights reduce grain harvest in Saxony

The grain harvest in Saxony is expected to be lower this year than last year, mainly due to the frosty nights in April. The harvest estimate is 66.6 quintals per hectare, according to the State Statistical Office in Kamenz. This is around 5.6 decitons less than last year. Accordingly, this figure is also below the six-year average. Compared to the national average of 65.6 decitons per hectare, however, grain yields in Saxony were estimated to be slightly higher.

Cereals (excluding grain maize) are grown on an area of almost 353,700 hectares in Saxony. Based on the preliminary yields, the expected grain harvest in Saxony is expected to be 2.4 million tons - around 200,000 tons less than in the previous year.

Summer barley as a bright ray of hope

The decline in yields mainly affects important cereals such as winter wheat, winter barley and winter rapeseed. In addition to the frosty nights in April, pests, whose proliferation was favored by the wet autumn last year, had a particularly severe impact on winter oilseed rape. A yield of 29.5 decitons per hectare was determined for this crop. Winter oilseed rape is grown on almost 107,000 hectares in Saxony.

Despite the general decline, there are also positive exceptions: Spring barley, with an expected harvest of 59.9 decitons per hectare, significantly exceeds the previous year's result of 45.7 decitons per hectare. Yield increases are also expected for oats and spring wheat.