Kazakhstan’s wheat yield forecast cut on warm, rainy weather: EC

Warm weather and a lack of moisture in the summer and excessive rains in the autumn has dragged spring wheat yields in Kazakhstan down by almost 8%, the European Commission (EC) said in its MARS report on Wednesday.

High temperatures persisted in the North, East and South of Kazakhstan during the beginning of summer, which, combined with a lack of rain, forced the EC to lower its June projection for spring wheat yields by 8.7% to 1.05 mt/ha.

That is up 8.3% year-on-year but down 8.5% compared to the five-year average.

Conversely, for winter wheat yields, the EC has raised its estimate by 3.2% compared to the previous report to 1.91 mt/ha as favourable weather supported the crops in the South region, where 80% of the winter wheat area is located.

“Weather conditions in June and July were favourable for the end of the grain filling period, and facilitated full ripening of grain and harvesting of winter cereals,” EC said.

Despite improvements, the EC expects winter wheat yields to drop 2.2% year-on-year and 0.9% from the five-year average.

The EC also said winter wheat plantings started in the second decade of September as weather was favourable for sowings and emergence of the crop.

For corn, the harvest started at the end of September as warm weather in July led to the rapid development of the crop.

The EC raised its corn yield forecast by 0.5% to 6.1 mt/ha, which is up 3% year-on-year and 5.8% from the five-year average.