PARIS: Expana has reduced its forecast for this year’s European Union maize crop, hurt by summer heat waves and drought, to a new low since the 1990s, the commodity data firm said on Thursday.
The EU’s 2026/27 maize production is now projected at 44.9 million metric tons, down from 46.2 million forecast last month. Expana had said its previous forecast marked the lowest level since 1992, but did not give a comparison for its new projection.
Data from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization showed the new estimate would represent the lowest since 1990. The shortfall in production is expected to push down 2026/27 maize use in livestock feed in the EU by 8 million tons, or 13.5 percent, compared with the five-year average, Expana said.
The EU will also be reliant on large maize imports, with war disruption to shipments from main supplier Ukraine posing an additional challenge, it said.
Despite availability of US and Brazilian supplies, the EU may still need 11 million tons of Ukrainian maize, more than the 9.1 million the EU imported from Ukraine last season, it forecast.