PARIS: Expana sharply cut its forecast for the European Union’s 2026/27 maize harvest after hot and dry conditions damaged crop prospects in France and other producing regions, while also lowering its soft wheat outlook. The commodity data firm cut its maize production forecast by 4.6 million metric tons compared with last month to 49.1 million tons, down 13.9percent from last season.
“Growing conditions have badly deteriorated in France, where the situation is most severe, although other countries, notably Germany, Benelux, Central Europe and Poland, are all affected,” it said in a monthly report.
The forecast puts EU maize output 19percent below its five-year average and close to the bloc’s poor harvests of 2007/08 and 2003/04, Expana said. Romania and Bulgaria were the only countries still expected to reach “satisfactory yields”.
Expana lowered its soft wheat production forecast by 1.5 million tons from July to 126.8 million tons, now 7.2percent below last season. It cited disappointing yields in Hungary, Czech Republic, Benelux and Germany, although yields were holding up in Romania, Bulgaria and the Baltic states.