What to sow instead of winter cereals? Is there any alternative?

Co siać zamiast zbóż ozimych? Czy jest jakaś alternatywa?

Is there any real alternative to winter cereals?
Cereal prices do not correspond to production costs. But they are difficult to replace, especially in the case of winter crops

There is very strong competition in cereals and rapeseed

It is difficult to find an alternative to winter crops in Polish, but also in general European conditions. Winter rapeseed and winter cereals, especially wheat, constitute the backbone of European agriculture. The demand for these crops is very high, but at the same time the competition on a global scale is fierce, because agriculturally strong countries from outside the continent are also fighting for the European market. And even if they do not export their goods to the EU, their internal demand is so high that the prices of European grain depend on whether, for example, China or India decide to block their market or not. There is strong competition in the form of countries from South America (especially Brazil and Argentina) and the United States and Canada in North America. There is also Egypt and Australia, which are strong in grain. So the competition is huge.

Harvest, harvest and after harvest. The harvest is coming to an end in southwestern Poland

Are there any real alternatives?

For example, wheat is such a versatile crop that it is difficult to replace it with any other crop. Especially when it comes to winter crops, because. e.g. in the case of spring forms, sowing legumes is quite attractive competition. Although rice is the basis of food for half of the world, there is still wheat. And taking into account the demand for this plant (but also other cereals), we will not replace it with any other crop.

We also know how the market works. Making decisions after one or two good or bad seasons is not the best solution. We remember what happened after good years for corn and barley, when the area of these crops increased massively in subsequent seasons. Unfortunately, something usually went wrong – or the yields were lower, and the price almost automatically dropped. And sometimes these factors come together.

Unfortunately, possible alternatives to winter crops in our country are still niche options. There is, for example, winter pea, but it is still a rather interesting crop. There are more alternatives to spring cereals. But, for example, corn shares the fate of cereals, because even here there is strong competition outside the continent. Potatoes require specialized equipment, and their prices can be uneven. There was great interest in the cultivation of sugar beets this season, but there was no place for potential new growers. There is also, for example, sunflower, but this is not an ideal crop (because there is no such thing) both in terms of price and agrotechnical aspects.

Cereal prices 2024. What are the market forecasts for the second half of the year?

Winter crops cannot be easily replaced

It is difficult to find an alternative to such economically important crops as cereals or rapeseed. A number of conditions must be taken into account. This includes purchasing and logistics possibilities. The market never works in such a way that whatever we produce sells without any problems. It may be that in a given region it is not possible to sell a given raw material. This is sometimes the case, for example, with peas, where the sale must be guaranteed in advance because not every purchasing entity is interested in receiving it. But you also need to remember about the machinery, because switching to other crops often involves significant investments in specialized devices or equipment. Let's not forget about protection issues, because in Polish conditions, cereals, rapeseed and corn are the plants that still have the greatest opportunities when it comes to the selection of protection technologies. But if there is no special alternative for such economically important crops, what should we sow? In the case of winter crops, there is no chance to easily replace these crops, regardless of whether we are talking about cereals or rapeseed.