The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service has released its June 2024 World Agricultural Production report, highlighting significant weather-related impacts on agricultural production in Russia, Ukraine, France, Brazil, India, Zambia, and Australia.
Russia Wheat Production:
- 2024/25 Production: 83.0 million metric tons (mmt), down 6% from last month and 9% from last year.
- Yield: 2.95 tons per hectare, down 4% from last month.
- Harvested Area: 28.1 million hectares, down 1% from last month.
Early-May frosts and persistent dryness have severely impacted winter wheat production in European Russia. Key regions affected include Lipetsk, Voronezh, Tambov, and Volgograd. The adverse weather has led to lower yield potential compared to previous seasons.
Ukraine Wheat Production:
- 2024/25 Production: 19.5 mmt, down 7% from last month and 15% from last year.
- Yield: 4.15 tons per hectare, down 7% from last month.
- Harvested Area: 4.7 million hectares, unchanged from last month.
Ukraine has faced a dry spring season with below-average precipitation since March, further reducing soil moisture reserves. The ongoing conflict also impacts data accuracy, with no reliable information from conflict zones.
France Wheat Production:
- 2024/25 Production: 31.7 mmt, down 1.5 mmt from last month and 4.6 mmt below last year.
- Yield: 6.88 tons per hectare, down 5% from last month.
- Harvested Area: 4.6 million hectares, unchanged from last month.
Excessive rainfall since autumn 2023 has caused widespread issues for the French wheat crop, including planting delays, less sown area, and emergence issues. Concerns about the effects of excessive rainfall, potential fungus, and quality issues are rising.
Brazil Rice Production:
- 2023/24 Production: 7.0 mmt (milled basis), down 3% from last month but up 3% from last year.
- Yield: 6.86 metric tons per hectare, slightly down from last month.
- Harvested Area: 1.5 million hectares, down 3% from last month.
Historic flooding in Rio Grande do Sul, which grows 70% of Brazil's rice, has impacted production. Despite the floods, 84% of the rice harvest was complete by early May, limiting crop losses.
India Rice Production:
- 2023/24 Production: 137.0 mmt (milled basis), up 2% from last month and 1% from last year.
- Yield: 4.32 metric tons per hectare, up 3% from last month.
- Harvested Area: 47.6 million hectares, slightly down from last year.
The 2023 southwest monsoon season saw erratic rainfall, but late-season rains boosted crop growth, especially in Telangana, the largest rice-producing state.
Zambia Corn Production:
- 2024/25 Production: 1.51 mmt, down 54% from last year.
- Yield: 2.20 metric tons per hectare, down 4% from last year.
- Harvested Area: 0.69 million hectares, down 52% from last year.
A prolonged drought from mid-January to February 2024, caused by the El Niño phenomenon, led to significant crop failures. The drought was the worst since 1920, prompting Zambia's president to declare a national disaster.
Australia Barley Production:
- 2024/25 Production: 11.5 mmt, up 6% from last month and last year.
- Yield: Higher, in line with the latest information from ABARES.
- Harvested Area: 4.4 million hectares, unchanged from last month.
Barley sowing commenced in April, with favorable conditions expected to boost production.
Brazil Soybean Production:
- 2023/24 Production: 153.0 mmt, down 1% from last month and 6% from last year.
- Yield: 3.34 metric tons per hectare, down slightly from last month.
- Harvested Area: 45.8 million hectares, down slightly from last month.
Historic flooding in Rio Grande do Sul has impacted soybean production, with initial estimates indicating up to 2.7 mmt of soybeans lost due to flooding.
France Rapeseed Production:
- 2024/25 Production: 4.1 mmt, down 6% from last month and 5% from last year.
- Yield: 3.13 tons per hectare, down 6% from last month.
- Harvested Area: 1.3 million hectares, unchanged from last month.
Continuous excessive rainfall and a mid-April freeze have posed significant challenges for French rapeseed farmers, leading to reduced production estimates.
Australia Rapeseed Production:
- 2024/25 Production: 5.5 mmt, down 15% from last month and 4% from last year.
- Yield: 1.72 tons per hectare, up 1% from last month.
- Harvested Area: 3.2 million hectares, down 0.6 mha from last month.
Less favorable conditions at the start of the season have led to a reduction in the forecasted area for rapeseed.
These significant weather-related impacts on agricultural production highlight the volatility and challenges faced by global agriculture in 2024.
