Worst grain harvest since the 1950s | ATL

The harvest is recovered – and it is the worst since the end of the 1950s. This is evidenced by an updated estimate of the size of the Lantmännen Swedish cereals, oilseeds and cereals harvest. .

When Lantmännen announced its harvest forecast in mid-July, it accounted for 4.2 million tonnes, the lowest yield in 25 years. The updated forecasts now indicate a total harvest of 3.5 million tonnes. Lantmännen's grain manager, Mikael Jeppsson, notes that it is more of the worst harvest since the late 1950s.

"We are making the big cut on wheat – in fact, we thought the fall and fall crops would be better than they are," said Jeppsson.

The reason is, according to Mikael Jeppsson, the high temperatures of the summer.

"The heat does as much damage as the dryness itself, it gets too hot, so the grain just steadily grows, I think it's the heat that gave the last death row."

On the other hand, the quality of this year's harvest is relatively good. Wheat, which is Sweden's largest crop, has good space and good protein content. This also applies to other cooking features such as case numbers. On the other hand, the grain of malt has a high protein content to satisfy meringues and breweries, while the porridge has a small footprint, which means that producing more kilo of oats costs more .

What does it mean for Swedish agriculture that there has been such a low harvest?

"We are talking about half a crop, almost, compared to a normal year.It is clear that this means significant income losses for farmers.Because of poor harvests throughout the Baltic Sea region and, to a certain extent, in the rest of Europe, prices have risen, increasing the cost of animal feed for breeders.The price increase is clearly beneficial for cereal producers – but it does not compensate for the loss of significant quantity.

How does the harvest affect the long term?

"This grain year will be a much poorer liquidity for farmers, which reduces the investment rate, and on the other hand, we have started very well what will be harvested in 2019. We expect that we have a record area for fall wheat and milk traps, we have a lot of rain that allows us to establish the crop in the fall, then a lot more rain because it is still very If we get a very good harvest next year, that will fix the situation for many, "said Jeppsson.

"I dare not think about what happens if we get another year with a very bad crop.