Pigs and cows in Germany may be feasting more on wheat this year as heavy rains threaten the harvest for the European Union's second-biggest producer.
Germany is a major grower of high-protein wheat that's essential for the country's traditional flavors of darker, heavier bread. But this year, weeks of rain before the harvest mean that more of the crop will be less suitable for bakers and used only as livestock feed.
"The wheat quality so far is worse than last year and worse compared to 2015," said Bernhard Chilla, an analyst at Agravis Raiffeisen AG, one of the country's top grain collectors.
As much as 40 percent of all German wheat will be used for animal fodder this year, double the usual level, according to estimates from Agravis and researcher Agriculture Market Information Co.
German farmers, like their European counterparts, have been dealing with all kinds of weather this year. First came prolonged dryness during winter in many areas, then cool conditions in spring and a heat wave in June. In July, rains hit the country and have continued into this month. That's particularly important this year, because drought in North America curbed higher-protein wheat, increasing demand for the top-quality grain elsewhere.
The mix of growing conditions means crop yields are likely to be diverse, according to BayWa AG.
SundayMonday Business on 08/06/2017