Yield forecast of late crops, late fruit and grapes, 2022

Low output of maize for grain and silage maize is expected

Compared to already published data on expected yield of maize for grain and silage maize as of 31 July 2022, the data on the yield forecast as of 5 September 2022 indicate even lower output of this crop in Slovenia.

The expected output of maize for grain is only about 263,000 tonnes. Compared to the good previous year’s output this is almost by third (by 32.4%) less. The expected average yield of 6.3 tonnes per hectare is by 26% lower than the last ten-year average. In the last ten years, worse yield was recorded only in 2013, 5.4 tonnes per hectare.

Silage maize was sown on a similar area as in the previous year, but the total output is expected to be lower by 29%. We also expect the lowest total output of silage maize, only around 862,000 tonnes. The expected average yield of silage maize is 32.1 tonnes per hectare, which is more than a quarter (by 28%) less than last year and by 29% less than the last ten-year average.

Area sown with late potato larger, expected output lower

The total output of late potato is expected to be around 50,700 tonnes; 15% lower comparing to last year’s harvest. The expected average yield of 19.2 tonnes per hectare is by almost 20% lower than in the previous year and by more than a quarter lower than the last ten-year average. In the last ten years we recorded worse average yield only in 2013 (18.8 tonnes per hectare), when Slovenia was also striken by drought.

Summer drought expected to impact the hop output

From a slightly larger area (by almost 6%), hop producers in Slovenia are expected to harvest by more than 15% less than in the previous year. The expected average yield of 1.1 tonnes per hectare is by a quarter lower than the ten-year average.

Lower yields of oil plants

Due to the smaller area intended for the cultivation of pumpkins for oil and, above all, unfavourable weather conditions, this year the growers of this oil plant should harvest around 1,700 tonnes of pumpkin seeds, which is a third less than last year. The average yield of dried pumpkin seeds is 0.5 tonnes per hectare, a quarter (by 23.6%) lower than in the previous year and 27% lower compared to the last ten-year average.

Despite the larger area dedicated to the cultivation of sunflowers (by 34%), we expect worse total output, just 1,044 tonnes, which is by 8% less than last year. The expected average yield of sunflowers is 1.9 tonnes per hectare, almost 23% less than the last ten-year average.

The total output of soya is expected to be by 13% heavier than in the previous year. This is mostly due to the increase in area sown with soya – by a quarter compared to last year. The expected average yield of 2.3 tonnes per hectare is 7% lower than in the previous year.

In orchard plantations and extensive orchards good harvest of late fruit species is expected

From apples and pears, we expect a better harvest this year than last year, when the harvest was very poor. In orchard plantations apples are expected to bear on average 23.6 tonnes per hectare, which is comparable to the last ten-year average. The expected average yield of pears of 16.4 tonnes per hectare is by almost 19% better compared to the last ten-year average.

In extensive orchards we expect a better harvests of all late fruit spices compared to the previous year. Apples should yield average – average yield of 33.1 kilograms per tree is comparable to the last ten-year average. From one pear tree we should collect 24.5 kilograms of this fruit, which is similar to the ten-year average.

A poor harvest expected in Slovenian vineyards

On about 14,400 hectares of vineyards in Slovenia, winegrowers should produce around 78,000 tonnes of grapes, which is 7% less than last year. The expected average yield of white grape varieties is 5.6 tonnes per hectare, which is 5% less than last year and 14% less compared to the ten-year average. Red varieties are expected to yield less than white varieties. According to the yield forecast as of 5 September 2022, total output of 22,300 tonnes of red varieties will be harvested, on average 5 tonnes per hectare, which is by almost a fifth less than the last ten-year average.