EU soybean harvest just below previous year

An updated estimate by the EU Commission suggests that this year’s soybean harvest in the EU-27 fell slightly short of the previous year’s level, despite an expansion in the production area for the 2024 harvest.

The decrease primarily reflects a decline in harvest in Romania.

In its latest estimate, the EU Commission marginally lowered its forecast for soybean production in the EU, putting the 2024 soybean harvest at just under 2.8 million metric tons, which is down 10,000 tons on the previous year despite a 10 percent increase in production area.

The key reason for the decline was lower yields due to unfavorable growing conditions throughout the year.

The EU average yield of 2.57 tons per hectare not only fell short of the previous year’s result of 2.83 tons per hectare but was also shy of the long-term average of 2.81 tons per hectare.

The Balkan states, especially Romania, recorded the sharpest declines in yield.

In Romania, drought conditions led to a 44 percent slump to 171,000 tons compared to the previous year, despite a nearly 10 percent increase in acreage.

Hungary’s soybean output is estimated at 260,000 tons, representing a 50 percent rise year-on-year.

Considering the doubling of the country’s production area, however, this result also remains below expectations.

According to research by Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft (mbH), Italian farms produced 1 million tons of soybeans, almost 5 percent less than in 2023.

Nevertheless, Italy remains the No. 1 soybean producer in the EU, notwithstanding an almost 3 percent reduction in soybean area compared to the previous year.