EU-28 Cereals Estimates Released with Promising Outlook

Copa-Cogeca released new EU-28 cereals estimates for the 2014/15 marketing year, showing a good crop this year, up 2.3 per cent on last years levels.

The move came at Copa-Cogecas Cereal Working Party. At the meeting, many Member States indicated a good EU harvest estimate this year, hoping to reach 304.147 million tonnes in the EU-28, which seems to be in contrast with the rest of the world.

Speaking at the meeting, Copa-Cogeca Chairman of the Working Party Max Schulman from Finland highlighted the problem of the unpredictable weather conditions and the disease yellow rust being experienced in some countries, stressing the need for a good toolbox including disease resistant plants, new and better varieties, research and development, good plant protection products.

“This year shows that plant protection products are crucial in order to get the maximum potential from our crops.

"EU farmers cannot boost the EU economy without these products and also without new breeding varieties," he insisted.

Copa-Cogeca in collaboration with Rabobank also launched a study to have a better mapping of the current storage capacity and interconnection to infrastructure in order to strengthen the functioning of the Single Market.