Despite low January temperatures in Croatia, winter crops
are in good condition with no development issues being reported.
Winter wheat plantings are down with a final wheat area expected
at around 100,000 ha with a total production forecast between 0.5 and 0.7mmt
with a maximum .2mmt available for export.
Corn plantings are anticipated to produce around 2.0mmt with
exports to remain high at around 0.45mmt.
In Serbia last year, the (estimated) 3.0mmt wheat crop was
the largest in over twenty years giving weight to the argument that the record Black
Sea and Eastern Europe harvest was largely down to the weather as much as government
policy.
This year the wheat crop is reported to be 12% or 540,000
hectares smaller than last year producing an expected 2.4mmt so exports will
likely be down from 1.5mmt last year to 1.0-1.2mmt this year.
Serbia's corn crop is likely to increase this year on the back of lower wheat plantings and with current good soil moisture conditions the crop should reach 7.0mmt and with 2.8mmt carryover it could once again reach the top ten list of global corn exporters.