Schwerin (dpa/mv) – According to the Ministry of Agriculture in Schwerin, the farmers in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania brought in an above-average harvest this year despite the heat and drought. However, there are regional differences, Minister Till Backhaus (SPD) summed up on Friday.
According to the information, 4.1 million tons of grain and 781,000 tons of good quality rapeseed have come together nationwide. The average grain yield of 76.7 quintals per hectare was 12.9 percent above the average for the years 2016 to 2021. According to the ministry, the rapeseed yield of 40.6 quintals per hectare was even 25.2 percent above the long-term average. These are preliminary results, but the harvest is fully complete.
Due to the cool spring, the plants were able to draw on the heavy rainfall in February for a long time and thus compensate for the later lack of rainwater. However, in areas with light soil that cannot hold water very well, the harvest fell short of the farmers’ expectations.
“The yields vary greatly depending on the quality of the soil and the amount of rain that has fallen,” explained Backhaus. Depending on the region, the yields for winter wheat varied between 62 and 84 quintals per hectare and for winter barley between 70 and 89 quintals. “Farmers on the light soils are thus below the expected yields for the fifth time in a row and are unable to improve their income situation despite the current good prices.” The prices for grain are currently on average 45 percent and for rapeseed 13 percent higher than in the previous year.
