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Grain harvest in Westphalia: Wheat under pressure from weather and prices!
Current developments on the 2025 wheat harvest in Germany: harvest conditions, price issues and global production forecasts.
Grain harvest in Westphalia: Wheat under pressure from weather and prices!
The grain harvest in Westphalia and the Rhineland has begun and, after intensive weeks of preparation and care, farmers are now looking forward to the results of their work. Winter wheat in particular, the most important type of grain, is currently being harvested. While some locations are already reporting satisfactory yields, the lack of rainfall and prevailing hot days could negatively impact yields across the region. In North Rhine-Westphalia, grain now grows on almost half of the arable land, which underlines the importance of this harvest even more. According to sueddeutsche.de, the winter barley harvest has already been completed and went largely smoothly. The yields were even above average across the country in some cases.
But the mood is mixed. Weak wheat prices and unfavorable weather conditions in key exporting countries this year could cause the wheat area for the 2025 harvest to shrink significantly. This would be the third year in a row that acreage has declined. As [agrarwelt.com](https://www.agrarwelt.com/pflanzen/weizenflaeche-zur-ernte-2025-schrumpft-durch-schwhafte-preise-und-witterungs Conditions.html) reports, excessive rain is creating additional challenges for farmers in Northern and Western Europe. In addition, it is estimated that around half of the wheat area in the USA is suffering from drought. Overall, the conditions are anything but rosy.
A look at global earnings forecasts
On global markets, wheat production could fall to around 797.6 million tonnes in the current season, estimates from the International Grains Council (IGC) show. These figures confirm that while yields are still high, they are slightly below the record highs of previous years. According to Statista, there is no reason to give the all-clear when it comes to global wheat demand: it is estimated at around 804.1 million tons, an increase that can mainly be explained by demand in the animal feed sector. It will be interesting to see whether global inventories, which could fall to a six-year low of 265.8 million tonnes, will put further pressure on prices.
The next few weeks promise continued excitement in agriculture: while oats, rye, triticale and rapeseed will also be harvested soon, the corn harvest will be reserved for the autumn months. A good hand and signals during the harvest are required in order to overcome the challenges of the current weather conditions and steer the harvest in the most positive direction possible.