Global grain production forecast in 2018 reduced 24 million tons

Based on the condition of crops already in the ground and assuming normal weather for the remainder of the 2018 cropping seasons, FAO's forecast for world grain output this year is pegged at 2 586 million tons (including rice in milled terms), 64.5 million tons (2.4 percent) less than the record output in 2017. 

The latest forecast for grains is down nearly 24 million tons from June, mainly on lower than previously anticipated projections for wheat production in the EU as well as wheat, corn and barley production in the Russian Federation and Ukraine.

"The year-on-year decrease mostly reflects anticipated reduced maize output," the message writes.

A predicted decline in the 2018 wheat production also weighs on global prospects, while rice output is seen expanding to fresh peaks in 2018. 

Previously it was reported that as of July 4, agrarians of 19 regions of Ukraine, where the harvesting campaign continued, had already brought in 4.7 million tons of new crop grain from 1.6 million hectares with a productivity of 2.93 t/ha.