Record-high maize yields in eastern Greater Poland, but grain buyers are closing and prices are falling
Grain maize yields in eastern Greater Poland, a voivodeship in Poland, are high this year, but grain moisture remains elevated. Some purchasing points have already stopped taking grain, and buying prices have dropped sharply in recent days.
Farmers in the eastern part of Poland's Greater Poland voivodeship are harvesting grain maize with high yields this year, but they are struggling to sell it. Grain moisture is high, some purchasing points have already ended their season, and prices have fallen sharply in recent days, according to the Polish agricultural portal Farmer.pl.
Yields exceed expectations
The spring in the region was dry and cool, followed by heat waves and difficulties with weed control on plantations. Even so, yields are in places surprisingly good. Most farmers are collecting 12–13 tonnes of wet grain per hectare. On better plantations average results reach 15–18 t/ha, and there are reports of up to 20 t/ha. Even on weak soils, yields are around 9–10 t/ha. One farmer said a field that usually gave about 8 t/ha produced 12 t/ha this year. Weaker soils dominate the area, where records are hard to set.
Moisture stays high
The autumn has been relatively warm and dry, with only brief showers arriving recently. Yet the grain has not dried down enough. A combine operator from the Kramsk municipality said his driest maize had 27% moisture, most of the rest was around 32–33%, and some fields reached 36–38%. Possible causes include an insufficient sum of effective temperatures during the growing season, delayed grain ripening, the FAO number of the varieties and the sowing date. Some farmers also feel that moisture readings at purchasing points are higher than those from farm moisture meters and combine measurements. High moisture lowers the price paid for the delivered crop.
Buyers are closing
Part of the maize is still standing in fields, as farmers waited for moisture to fall and harvesting services also caused delays. In recent days several purchasing points announced an end to intake, explaining that the acreage was large, yields were high and storage filled up quickly. A farmer in Konin county said one buyer near him closed last week and another the day before, and he now has to search farther away for someone to buy his grain.
Prices have dropped
About two weeks ago, a purchasing point near Konin paid roughly PLN 660–670 net per tonne of grain at 30% moisture. Yesterday the price was PLN 610, and today PLN 600. This is a base price, and given the high moisture of the harvested grain, the actual rate falls below PLN 600 per tonne.
