German ministry sees larger wheat crop in 2019 despite heatwave

HAMBURG: Germany will harvest a larger wheat harvest in 2019 despite crops being hit by an unwelcome combination of an early summer heatwave followed by repeated rain, the country's agriculture ministry said on Thursday.

Germany will harvest 22.71 million tonnes of winter wheat in 2019, up by 15.9% from last year's crop which was especially small because of drought, the ministry said in its first harvest estimate.

The wheat harvest of all types will rise 13.7% on the year to 23.03 tonnes, it said.

Germany's 2019 grains harvest of all types apart from maize will increase 17.8 on the year to 44.70 tonnes, the ministry said.