That would still be 7.3pc above last year's level and 1.6pc higher than the average of the past five years, MARS said in a monthly report.

For other cereals, it cut its forecast of EU 2019 all-barley yield to 4.91 t/a from 4.92 t/ha last month. The spring barley yield forecast was reduced to 4.10 t/ha from 4.14 t/ha.

MARS raised projected EU grain maize yield to 8.08 t/ha from 8.05 t/ha in June while the EU rapeseed yield was slightly lowered to 3.10 t/ha from 3.14 t/ha last month.

For sugar beet, MARS cuts its yield forecast for the EU 2019 crop to 73.9 t/ha from 75.7 t/ha last month.