Following a very wet spring in Romania, we experienced a very dry and hot period during the height of the summer. This of course led to sudden ripening of the winter crops, but also the opportunity to harvest barley, wheat and rape on time such that these crops have been harvested in dry conditions and are now ready for storage.

As previously referred to, the rape in Videle has been somewhat affected by waterlogged conditions due to a combination of the very wet weather in February-March, and the fact that 170 HA are new, first-year fields that are relatively more sensitive to water – and where losses are to be expected during the phasing-in period as the fields are cultivated.

The results for rape are:

The results in Mizil and Oravita are thus acceptable, whilst those in Videle are not. During the autumn and winter, the rape fields in Videle were actually quite acceptable, but during March we could see that a lot of the crops became waterlogged in low-lying areas. By the end of March the fields were completely impassable, just as we were due to commence preparation and sowing of spring crops on some fields that were suffering from the effects of all the water. It was decided not to resow, as this would have had very little chance of a good economic outcome, as an alternative crop would be very late-sown sunflower. It should be pointed out that it is the first year that rape has been disappointing in Videle – where last year we saw yields of 3.2 tonnes/HA, despite the fact that there was also a relatively high proportion of first-year fields.

A yield of 3 T/HA was budgeted for.

The rape was sold at DKK 257/hkg – very close to the budgeted figure of DKK 255/hkg.

The results for wheat are:

Yields are reduced due to waterlogged areas in Mizil and to a certain extent in Videle. The extensive work that has been carried out, which includes surface drainage and grubbing, has without doubt had a positive effect this year, as otherwise we would have suffered much more from the very wet conditions. In tangible terms, we have seen that fields and parts of fields that have previously been problematic, and which have undergone such treatment, have now produced yields of more than 6 tonnes per ha. We have not yet implemented all the measures at our disposal, but these efforts are ongoing and will undoubtedly lead to improvements in the future.

6 tonnes/HA have been budgeted at a price of DKK 124 per hkg.

i.e. the price must hit approx. DKK 145/hkg if the budget is to be met.

The quality of the wheat is really good. The protein percentage in some of the wheat in Oravita is 11.5-12%, whilst the rest of the wheat has a protein content which is considerably higher. Moreover, the hectolitre weight of all the wheat is fine. This high level of quality can have a noticeably positive effect on the price, since a large part of the wheat in Romania this year is suffering from low protein percentages. At the same time, the price level that is being quoted here at harvest time is considerably higher than it was last year.

With the right mix, we thus expect that a very large proportion of the wheat will be sold as milling wheat at prices that we have good reason to hope will end up higher than that which we sold last year at DKK 131/hkg.

In line with our strategy, we have not sold wheat during the harvest, which is traditionally a buyer’s market, and this year we have also experienced an overheated market due to logistical challenges, which we have chosen not to get involved in. Of course, we are active in the market and have maintained our strategy with regard to spreading sales so that we can fully exploit our storage capacity and relatively good quality.

The result for winter barley is:

Winter barley has been sold at DKK 105/hkg. In relation to budget figures of 5 T/HA and DKK 109/hkg, this results in a positive difference of 15% on the gross yield.

Spring crops:

We faced major challenges in the spring in terms of preparing a good sowing bed, but we actually managed to successfully sow maize, sunflower and soya.

Maize and sunflower generally exhibited good germination and enjoyed a good mix of precipitation and warmth after sowing, such that by the beginning of July the general picture for these crops was very positive.

It has been very dry and warm throughout the month of July – probably worst in the Oravita area. Based on an assessment at the current time, a normal yield from these crops can be expected, even after such a severe period of drought. Some maize fields in Mizil and Videle are established in slightly lower-lying areas, which can be seen on the crops at the moment.

The soya has been sown at somewhat different times, as a result of which it is at different stages of development and can thus be difficult to judge:

The first-sown soya in Oravita: