2023-06-15 15:47:11
Imports into the country are expected to exceed 20 million tons
Spain is facing a catastrophic grain harvest – the lowest in 18 years, according to EC figures.
Spain is already the largest importer of grain in the EU this season. The reason for the weak harvest is the second year in a row drought and the extreme scarcity of water for all the major grain regions of the country.
Heavy rains in December were followed by extremely dry conditions and above average temperatures throughout the crop season. Rainfall in late May was far from enough to compensate for the drop in production, although the rain helped improve soil moisture and ease water shortages.
The latest forecasts from the European Commission expect a total grain harvest of 14.5 million tonnes. This is another almost 4 million tonnes less than in 2022 and about 10 million tonnes less than the previous two years. The last time Spanish farmers harvested such a small crop was in the extremely dry 2005, recalls agrarheute.
However, some analysts expect that Spain’s grain production (including winter grain and maize) could be just over 9 million tonnes.
According to the Commission’s estimates, the Spanish winter wheat harvest is likely to be 3.95 million tonnes, despite the increase in areas with this crop. This is 1.4 million tonnes less than the 2022 drought.
The current allocation of irrigation water also threatens the size of maize areas, including the second maize crop in the Ebro River Valley. According to the Commission’s forecasts, the maize harvest could shrink below 3 million tonnes. This is 0.8 million tonnes less than in 2022.
Irrigation water reserves are currently just 47.7 percent of total storage capacity, the lowest level since 1995. The lack of snow in the mountains is also a problem, as spring and summer are an important source of water replenishment. Yields are therefore expected to be well below 2022/23 levels, when rainfall was already limited.
Spain is the largest grain importer in the EU, accounting for an average of 70 percent of the Union’s grain imports.
Expected lower availability of grain domestically, despite slightly lower demand forecast, will lead to greater grain shortages and increased import needs.
The first forecasts show that Spain’s imports will exceed 20 million tonnes in 2023/24. The quality and quantity of the EU wheat crop will play a decisive role in which grain variety will prevail as animal feed.
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