The European harvest remains a divided picture this week. Eastern Europe is still experiencing hot and dry weather, which has reduced production, but supported good harvest progress, while western Europe has received heavy rainfall, which is increasing quality and yield worries in the main producing regions.

The winter barley harvest has progressed well in Germany this week, after better weather.

Quality is variable, but moisture content is reportedly high. Early wheat results suggest lower Hagbergs, but protein content is seen to be good.

French farm union FNSEA says the wheat crop will be lower than 2006 due to yield losses from the recent wet weather. But official estimates put the crop at 34.7m tonnes, a 4% rise on last year. The wheat harvest is reportedly about 50% complete.

In Denmark the harvest has again been interrupted by unsettled weather, but the barley and oilseed rape harvest is progressing. At this stage, although yields are reportedly low, there are no reliable data. The barley harvest in Spain has given mixed results, with yields close to last year’s 3.43t/ha, while wheat yield results are seen well above last year at 3.67t/ha, and the quality is reportedly good.

Hungary’s cereal harvest is expected to be completed this week, with a total crop of about 6m tonnes. Of this, 1m tonnes is barley (average yield 3.68t/ha), 3.9m tonnes is wheat (3.6t/ha), and the rest rye and triticale. The Romanian wheat harvest is 91% complete and is expected to end next week. The crop is now seen at 2.6m tonnes, with average yields of about 1.5t/ha. Wheat quality is better than normal, with protein levels of 12 to 12.5%.

In the UK, less than 5% of the winter barley and oilseed rape has been cut, says ADAS. Although this is in line with recent years, the crop was about two weeks ahead of normal at the end of June, but has been delayed due to the heavy rainfall seen in July.