Coceral raises harvest forecast in 2011
PARIS: European Union grain trade lobby Coceral raised its forecast for the bloc's soft wheat harvest in 2011 to 128.39 million tonnes from the 126.53 million tonnes estimated in July.
The forecast was in line with recent estimates by French analysts Strategie Grains, which last month put the bloc's total soft wheat output at 129.0 million tonnes.
Top EU producer France is expected to harvest 33.5 million tonnes of soft wheat this year, Coceral said more than 2 million tonnes less than in 2010 while German production is seen at 22.9 million tonnes.
Coceral also raised its forecast for the 27-nation bloc's maize harvest in 2011 to 62.95 million tonnes following helpful summer rains a rise of about 10 percent compared with 57.24 million last year.
But the grain lobby cut its barley crop forecast for this year to 50.97 million tonnes from 51.76 million in July.
Total EU oilseed production in 2011 was pegged at 27.90 million tonnes, up from Coceral's July forecast of 26.52 million tonnes.
Copyright Reuters, 2011
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