BRUSSELS, BELGIUM — In its second forecast for 2020, Coceral projects the total grain crop in the EU-27+UK at 302.5 million tonnes, down slightly from its previous forecast of 302.7 million tonnes. It is also down 5.2 million tonnes from the 2019 crop.

Wheat production (excluding durum) is seen at 136.5 million tonnes, down from the previous 137.9 million tonnes and from last year’s 145.7 million tonnes. The expected decrease is mainly due to a further significant acreage reduction in the UK due to abundant rains during the planting season last fall.

The EU’s 2020 barley production is now forecast at 61.8 million tonnes, up from the 60.8 million tonnes seen in the first forecast, but down from the 62.2 million tonnes a year ago. This is mainly due to a higher-than-previously expected spring barley area in the UK, which is expected to benefit from lower winter wheat and rapeseed plantings.

The EU’s 2020 corn crop is still expected to reach 65 million tonnes and thus more than last year’s 61 million tonnes. The corn acreage is seen benefiting from the wet planting campaign for winter grains. It is therefore seen at 9 million hectares versus 8.5 million hectares in 2019. The most notable year-on-year increases in production are expected for France, Germany and Poland.

The 2020 rapeseed production forecast for the EU has been slightly revised down from 17.1 million tonnes to 17 million tonnes as a further downward revision in the UK’s acreage has not been offset by a higher acreage in France.