In 2017/18 MY global grain production will increase by 6.8 million tons

The forecast of world grain production in 2017 has been raised slightly since last month to 2 612 million tons, 6.8 million tons (0.3 percent) above the 2016 record.

This is reported in the FAO Cereal Supply and Demand Brief.

"This month’s upward adjustment mostly stems from improved production prospects for coarse grains and wheat, more than offsetting a cut in rice production," the analysts note.

Global wheat production in 2017 is now forecast at 750.1 million tons, up 1.4 million tons (0.2 percent) from the output foreseen in September.

"The increase is mostly on account of a larger production in the EU and an upturn in prospects in Russian Federation, where continued beneficial weather further boosted prospects for the spring wheat yield. This increase more than outweighed a cut in Australia’s output to a more average level following last year’s record harvest," the brief says.

The forecast of world coarse grains output stands at 1 361 million tons, 2.5 million tons (0.2 percent) above the previous month’s expectation. This increase largely reflects improved production prospects for maize in China and the United States, more than offsetting a cut to Russian Federation’s maize output due to dry conditions that dampened yield expectations. The forecast for global barley production has also been raised this month, driven by higher outputs in the Black Sea region.

In the southern hemisphere, sowing of the new season’s crop began in Argentina and Brazil.