The European Union's MARS agricultural monitoring system has significantly lowered its estimates for Romania's corn production this year, primarily due to the severe drought affecting Southeastern Europe. 

Romania, which previously competed with France for the title of the EU's largest corn producer, has seen its production forecasts drop sharply. 

According to MARS, the average corn yield in the EU is now expected to be 7.03 tons per hectare, down from the 7.24 tons per hectare estimated in July, representing a 6% decrease from last year's levels, Profit.ro reported. 

The drought's impact is particularly severe in Romania, where MARS has revised the country's corn yield estimate down to 3.83 tons per hectare from the 4.08 tons per hectare projected in July. This adjustment marks an 18% decline compared to last year.

Similar reductions have been noted in other countries in the region, such as Hungary, where the corn yield estimate has been lowered to 6.46 tons per hectare, a 21% drop from 2023. 

MARS attributes these significant reductions to the extreme heat experienced in Romania, with temperatures averaging 2.0 to 3.5 degrees Celsius above normal across most regions. The period from July 1 to August 17, 2024, has been recorded as the hottest in the country's history. 

In addition to corn, MARS has also reduced its estimates for other key crops in the EU. Soft wheat production, the most widespread cereal crop in the bloc, is now expected to yield 5.68 tons per hectare, down from 5.87 tons per hectare estimated last month, a 2% decrease compared to last year. 

Similarly, barley production is forecasted at 5.01 tons per hectare, slightly lower than the 5.09 tons per hectare predicted earlier but still 8% higher than last year's yield.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Cornel Putan)