In south-eastern Europe in particular, average temperatures exceeded the long-term average (LTA) by 2 ☌ to 4 ☌. The 2020/2021 winter season was warmer than usual in most parts of Europe. These conditions benefited the emergence and early development of winter crops, which generally entered winter in good condition. In eastern and northern Europe, the autumn of 2020 was the warmest since the Joint Research Centre’s records began in 1979. The most serious delays occurred in Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and central Türkiye. Nevertheless, in most countries, the planned areas were sown. This was followed by excessively wet conditions, particularly in October. There were also initial delays in the sowing of winter cereals due to the prolonged dry conditions in several countries. Nevertheless, heavy rainfall in the first half of October caused some damage to new stands in Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia. In the other main rapeseed-producing countries, sowing benefited from favourable conditions or incurred only slight delays due to the abundant rainfall at the end of August. In Bulgaria and Romania, the continued dryness of the soil also resulted in a smaller than planned rapeseed area. However, the rainfall in France was excessive and further added to the delays, resulting in a smaller than planned rapeseed area. Substantial rain in France and Germany arrived in mid-September, allowing some late varieties to be sown. The optimal window for sowing winter rapeseed closes in September, but efforts in France, Germany, Bulgaria and Romania were hampered by the dry summer conditions that continued well into September. The 2021 crop year in the EU experienced extreme weather events in terms of both temperatures and rainfall. The statistics on crop production in this article are shown at an aggregated level and have been selected from over 100 different crop products for which official statistics are collected.Īmong meteorological factors, temperature and precipitation are of particular significance for yields and production levels. However, where the production of certain crops is concentrated in a few regions, EU production levels will be particularly susceptible to specific weather conditions as well as to pest attacks. As the EU covers a large area with a wide range of climates, the impact of adverse weather conditions on production levels in one region may be offset by better conditions in another. It is for this reason that production levels and prices are brought together in this article. The important role of weather conditions on the quantity and quality of harvests has a knock-on impact on prices, as the mechanism between supply and demand. Likewise, summer drought and heatwaves can reduce yield formation, while strong winds and heavy rainfall can incur harvest losses and compromise yield quality. For example, heavy spring frosts can damage the leaves of cereals and destroy fruit blossoms. Crop production is sensitive to weather conditions throughout the growing season and at harvest. Plants need sunlight, water, healthy soils, air and heat to grow and farmers need suitable weather and soil moisture conditions to conduct the necessary field operations on time. These decisions have an impact on the production of specific crops from one year to the next. When making decisions on which annual crops to sow, farmers consider agronomic factors (for example, crop rotations and soil conditions), the availability of labour and machinery, input costs (for example, of seeds and fertilisers) and anticipated returns, and policy incentives or restrictions. ![]() Barley is common in both its winter and spring varieties. In the EU, wheat, rapeseed, rye and triticale are typically winter crops, whereas maize, sunflowers, rice, soybeans, potatoes, and sugar beet are summer crops. Spring and summer crops are sown and harvested in the same year. Winter crops are sown in autumn and harvested in the summer of the following year. ![]() Annual crops can be subdivided in winter crops and spring and summer crops. fruit trees and vines) last for more than two growing seasons, either dying back after each season or growing continuously these are also termed permanent crops. Annual crops are those that do not last more than two growing seasons and typically only one. Editorial note: Throughout this article, which deals with time periods when the United Kingdom was a Member State of the European Union, the acronym EU, however, refers to EU-27, the post-Brexit composition of the European Union as of 1 February 2020.Ĭrops can be broadly categorised into two groups: annual and perennial.
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