Poland's grain output without maize is expected to fall to 24.5-25.5 million tonnes this year, up to 10 percent less than last year's record high, the statistical office (GUS) said on Monday. The office's preliminary estimate - in line with earlier estimates by the Polish Grain Chamber - showed that recent drought in several regions of the country had a limited impact on this year's harvest.
GUS said that the area of the so-called basis grains - excluding maize - was 8.1 million hectares or nearly three percent up compared with last year. Average yield is expected to fall to 3.01-3.13 tonnes per hectare from 3.44 tonnes in 2004.
"These are quite decent figures. The drought was temporary and it did not hurt the crops much," the head of the grain chamber Bogdan Judzinski told Reuters.