Heavy rainfall is endangering the harvest in Germany, Joachim Rukwied, chairman of the German Farmers’ Association, said on Monday.
The grain harvest is expected to reach 42 million tons, slightly less than last year’s result, Rukwied explained during a farm visit in Frankfurt.
According to him, the heat and humidity promoted rotting of the potato crop, which could result in crop failure if pesticides were not used.
Rukwied said pesticides were needed given the flooding and waterlogging. “Combined with rising temperatures, the risk of fungal infections in many crops is increasing significantly,” he added.
Farmers needed a wide range of resources to maintain plant resistance, while fewer pesticides and agricultural substances were available in Germany, Rukwied said.
Wet conditions in autumn affected the sowing plans of many farmers in low-lying areas, resulting in a reduction in areas planted with winter wheat and oilseed rape.
Sowing was often postponed until spring, almost tripling the area under spring wheat to 100,000 hectares.
Nevertheless, winter wheat remains by far the most important cereal crop in Germany with 2.6 million hectares, followed by winter barley with 1.3 million hectares.
