
Delayed spring sowing and summer drought will limit the harvest
In Sweden, after a very poor harvest in 2023, cereal production is expected to be average this year. The Swedish cooperative Lantmännen, in which over 18,000 people are involved. farmers, predicts a grain harvest of 5.4 million tons.
According to the cooperative, delayed spring sowing and a dry early summer in much of the country affected harvest prospects, especially for spring cereals.
2023 was a bad year
The cooperative's forecast is below retail expectations. In June estimates, the EU organization of grain traders (Coceral) assumed that in 2024 there will be 5.6 million tons of cereals in Sweden, including 3.2 million tons of wheat, over 1.3 million tons of barley and 730 thousand tons of oats.
Last year, only 4.3 million tons of grain were harvested in all of Sweden. The causes were early summer drought and late summer rains. Farmers reported that harvesting was not possible on time or at all due to heavy rainfall. According to official estimates, the percentage of unharvested grain fields was 2.3 percent. and was the highest since 2012.
Import was necessary
Lantmännen has now pointed out that Sweden has had to import grain to cover its needs due to a poor harvest in the 2023/2024 marketing year. Grain is usually exported. Poor harvests combined with high input and energy prices and increased interest costs have been a challenge for many Swedish farmers.
Farm profit margins are low and a good harvest this year is crucial for Swedish agriculture, but also for domestic food production and Sweden's food security, the cooperative stressed.