EU food acreage expected to fall by 0.6 per cent in 2015

World Agrochemical Network report: According to the forecast of the European Union Trade Association Coceral, the area under food crop cultivation in Europe will drop slightly by 0.6 to 62.8 million hectares in 2015.

In 2015, the area under food cultivation in EU member states is expected to decrease by 0.6 to 60.3 million hectares, with non-EU member states, including Serbia, Bosnia, the Republic of Macedonia and Albania, planting 2.5 million hectares. The area under soft wheat cultivation in the EU is expected to decrease by 1.3 to 24.9 million hectares. The area under barley cultivation is expected to increase slightly by 0.3 per cent to 12.4 million hectares.

The area under oilseed cultivation in EU member states will increase by 1.8 per cent to 11.7 million hectares, and the area under soybean cultivation will increase by 19.3 per cent to 8.858 million hectares. The area under oilseed cultivation in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Macedonia is estimated to be 390000 hectares.