EU Forecasts Increased Crop Output for 2008

Crop output in the European Union ( EU) is expected to increase considerably this year compared with 2007, the European Commission said Thursday.

The commission attributed the increase to favorable weather conditions and and an increase in farmed area.

According to its forecast, the total output of cereals in the 27-nation bloc will be some 301 million tons in 2008, a hike of 43 million tons over 2007, representing a 16-percent increase.

The figures also represent a rise of 9 percent over the average production rates of the last five years.

The total farmland for cereals in 2008 is estimated to have increased by 5 percent compared with 2007, amid high cereal prices and the suspension of a set-aside rule that required 10 percent of land to be left uncultivated.

Source: CRIEnglish