PARIS: Grain production in the European Union plus the United Kingdom is expected to rise in 2023, grain industry lobby group Coceral said on Monday, recovering after dry and hot weather caused crop damage in many parts of the region this year.

Harvest prospects in the European Union are being monitored closely as grain markets wrestle with supply uncertainty resulting from the war in Ukraine.

In its first forecasts for next year’s harvest, Coceral projected soft wheat production in the 27-country EU plus the UK at 143.2 million tonnes in 2023, up from 140.7 million tonnes this year. France, the EU’s biggest wheat producer, was projected to harvest 34.1 million tonnes in 2023, up from 33.6 million tonnes, while number two grower Germany’s soft wheat production was forecast to rise to 22.9 million tonnes from 22.5 million tonnes.

In Romania, soft wheat output was forecast to drop to 8.7 million tonnes from 8.95 million tonnes while Bulgaria’s crop was pegged to rise to 6.3 million tonnes from 5.9 million tonnes.

The UK soft wheat crop was forecast to fall to 14.3 million tonnes from 15.2 million this year because of expected lower yields. Corn production in the 28 countries was forecast to rebound to 64.5 million tonnes in 2023, with significant yield improvements in the Balkan countries, Hungary, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, Coceral said.

The corn harvest dropped to 50.7 million tonnes this year after severe and widespread drought damage. For barley, the EU plus UK crop was forecast to rise to 60 million tonnes, up from 58.5 million tonnes in 2022.

In total, 2023 grain output in the EU plus UK was projected to reach 304.4 million tonnes, up from 285.1 million tonnes in 2022, Coceral said.

For rapeseed, Europe’s main oilseed crop, Coceral said it expected combined EU and UK production at 20.4 million tonnes, down from 20.6 million tonnes this year.