Lower Grain Harvest Expected in Thuringia Than in Previous Years

Grain farmers in Thuringia, Germany, are anticipating a harvest of roughly 2.2 million tons this year, according to initial estimates from agricultural businesses. This figure represents a significant decrease, falling about 0.2 million tons, or 8 percent, below the average yield recorded between 2020 and 2025.

The projected yield per hectare also reflects a downward trend, with an estimated 6.8 tons per hectare. This is 0.3 tons less than the average from earlier years. Statisticians report that approximately 327,600 hectares of grain are under cultivation in the German state this year.

Winter wheat remains the most important grain crop, grown on 169,000 hectares. The forecast for winter wheat is around 1.2 million tons, with an expected yield of 7.2 tons per hectare, which is lower than both last year and the long-term average. For winter barley, cultivated on about 69,900 hectares, the harvest is expected to reach approximately 500,000 tons, yielding 7.4 tons per hectare. This represents a 13 percent, or 1.1-ton, decrease per hectare compared to last year.

Winter rapeseed cultivation is estimated to yield 300,000 tons, with an expected output of 3.3 tons per hectare. Similar to other grains, both winter rapeseed and winter barley are projected to produce less than in the previous year and below the long-term average.