Provisional harvest estimate 2020

Agriculture & fishery
Provisional harvest estimate 2020

According to the provisional estimate of the agricultural crop production in 2020, we mainly observe a production decrease for winter cereals. The production of winter wheat decreased by 11 % and that of winter barley by 17 %. This decline is the result of a decrease in surface area combined with a yield loss of 11.3 % and 12.2 % respectively. As a result of the bad weather conditions in the autumn 2019, less winter cereals were sown.

On the other hand, more spring cereals were sown, but with disappointing yields, so that production increases were less significant.

The production of grain maize and green maize has increased by 3 % and 7 % respectively. These increases are mainly due to the increase in surface areas.

Sugar beet production has fallen by 5 % due to the decrease in both surface area (-1.2 %) and yields (-3 %).

The slight increase of 2 % in potato production in Belgium is almost entirely due to an increase in the yields.

Despite the 13 % decrease in the surface area for rapeseed, the production decrease in 2020 was limited to 3 %, thanks to good yields.