Final harvest estimate 2022
Thanks to optimal growing conditions, 2022 is marked by an increase in production of winter and spring cereals (+15.3%). However, due to too dry climate conditions, the yields of green maize and potatoes have decreased in 2022 (-13% and -9.6%).
Good yields for grains, poor yields for potatoes and maize
Grain yields in 2022 were better than in 2021. The growing season for grains, as well as its harvest, has been very good due to optimal growing conditions in 2022. Winter cereal yields were much higher than normal (+15% for winter wheat and +3% for winter barley). As more winter barley was sown, production actually increased by +20% in 2022. The yield increase in spring cereals was less pronounced than that of winter cereals but, because much more spring cereals were sown due to favourable grain prices, production increased by +96% for spring barley and +108% for spring wheat.
For maize, in turn, it was too dry and there is a yield decrease of -21% for grain maize and -10% for green maize. Due to the decrease in area of green maize, production even fell by -13%. Grain maize production ended up at +3% as here too, due to high grain prices, 30.4% more grain maize was sown.
The summer was also too dry for potatoes and they recorded lower yields of -9.6%. The production decrease is slightly smaller than the yield decrease (-7.6%) because slightly more potatoes were planted.
Sugar beets need less water than maize and potatoes and have been able to benefit from dry weather conditions. The yield has increased by +8% and the production by +4% compared to 2021.
Due to the favourable price-making process, 5% more rapeseed was sown in 2022. This combined with favourable yields led to a production increase of +29%.
In the run-up to the new Common Agricultural Policy in January 2023, Europe has launched transitional schemes in 2022, known as eco-schemes. One of these incentives includes the sowing of environment, climate and biodiversity-friendly crops. Annual protein crops namely legumes and mixed cropping of legumes and cereals are eligible for this. These incentives explain the large shifts between the headings ‘other cereals’ (-86% or -19,023 tonnes) and ‘other dry pulses’ (+123% or +23,466 tonnes).