More Early EU Barley Harvest Reports

The Italian winter barley harvest is in full swing, with around 25-30% threshed so far, according to my German correspondent Joachim Ruhmann of DLR.

Yields are understood to vary greatly, as is usual in Italy, but predominately range 58-61 kg/hl, Joachim tells me.

At home in Germany the very first barley to be cut this week is coming in with generally very low moisture levels of around 12%, says Joachim. Early protein levels vary from below 10% to slightly over 11%, he adds.

Temperatures have warmed up considerably, with 27C in the early morning in the Upper Rhine Valley, currently rising to 33C by lunchtime. This has led to rapid ripening of barley on better soils very quickly, with a fresh wave of harvesting expected to start in the southwest of the country over the weekend if the weather holds, he concludes.