Saxony's farmers are currently rejoicing over optimal conditions to cultivate their fields for next year. The upper soil layer is well moistened and there are signs of a golden autumn, farmers' president Torsten Krawczyk told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur. The rapeseed is already in the ground, next comes the winter barley and later the winter wheat - the most important crop in Saxony in terms of area.
Rainful periods had dragged out the grain harvest in the summer and led to quality losses. According to Krawczyk, however, there are no delays in sowing as a result. But farmers still have their hands full. In addition to preparing the fields for the new seeds and sowing canola and cereals for the coming year, other crops still have to be removed from the fields. These include potatoes and sugar beets as well as corn, which serves as animal feed or feeds biogas plants.
Farmers cultivate more than 700,000 hectares of arable land in Saxony. The most common crop is winter wheat, followed by rapeseed, winter barley and silage corn. However, Krawczyk expects his colleagues to rely less on rapeseed next year, given recent poor yields and prices. "I'm afraid canola has lost its appeal again." That also has implications for beekeepers, he stressed. That's because canola is often approached by bees.
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