European Maize Area To Remain Relatively Stable in 2015
Contact person: Pierre Guillaumin, Head of Mission, Economics and International – FNPSMS (French National Federation of Maize and Sorghum Seed Production)
The European 2015-2016 production season is underway. Plantings were completed this past June. Western European countries saw a significant drop (- 5 %) in their grain maize areas, which was partly offset by area increases in some Central and Eastern European countries, particularly in Bulgaria, Romania, and Russia. Overall - and despite a decline of maize in Ukraine (the first producer in the region) -, the maize area in geographical Europe should remain stable compared to 2014.
Good Supply of Quality Seed
Contact person: Pierre Guillaumin, Head of Mission, Economics and International – FNPSMS (French National Federation of Maize and Sorghum Seed Production)
The 2015 plantings have benefitted from a good quality seed supply, due to record productions of maize seed in 2014.
Given the good 2014 record, seed-producing companies have reduced their areas in 2015, in order to rebalance stocks. Thus, the EU-28's current seed maize areas stand at about 135 000 hectares, down 33 percent from 200 000 hectares in 2014.
The three main production countries (France, Hungary, and Romania) continue to account for 80 percent of the EU's total production area. On the other hand, France has increased its maize area and has come to account by itself for over half of the 2015's production program in the EU-28, with 70 000 hectares. We witness the third historic level of the French maize area, which proves the continued attractiveness of this crop and the use of “high-tech” seeds.
Production will also decrease in maize-producing countries outside the EU, namely in Ukraine and Serbia. Russia makes an exception, with higher areas that indicate the crop's dynamics here and the country's willingness to become more self-reliant in terms of maize seeds that are “made in Russia”.
Overall, in geographical Europe, seed maize areas are estimated at 206 000 hectares in 2015, marking a downfall of 80 000 hectares (- 28 percent) from 2014.
This “readjustment” of seed production proves to be necessary and should have no negative impact on the available supply of high-quality seed on the European market before the 2016 plantings.
Kazakhstan: a Future Major Maize Producer?
Contact person: Anna Kolakowska, International Promotion Actions – FNPSMS (National French Federation of Maize and Sorghum Seed Production)
A large grain producer – especially of wheat (with an area of 12,7 million hectares and a production of 14,5 million tons) and of barley (2 million hectares and a production of 2,6 million tons) –, Kazakhstan is looking to increase its maize production. The crop has become a priority to the Kazakh state, which supports this industry both financially and technically, through subsidies and irrigation systems that are indispensable to maize-growing.
In recent years (2012-2015), the country's grain maize area has been standing at 100 000-125 000 hectares, while production has varied between 0,50 and 0,60 million tons. Kazakhstan's maize production area is concentrated in the southeastern part of the country, in the regions of Almaty (58 percent), Zhambyl (11 percent), and southern Kazakhstan (21 percent), with yields ranging from 54 q/ha in the Almaty oblast, 50 q/ha in Zhambyl, and 37 q/ha in southern Kazakhstan. Grain maize is mainly used as feed (especially for poultry) and in the processing industry (the Jarkent and AsiaAgroFood starch plants).
Feed maize area stands at about 100 000 hectares. It lies in the northern Kazakhstan, in the regions of Kostanay (31 percent), Akmola (35 percent), and the extreme north (13 percent). Yields vary from 25 to 50 tons of green weight per hectare and under irrigation (submersion) systems they may reach as much as 80 tons, or even 100-120 tons, under drip irrigation. About 94 percent of Kazakhstan's maize seed market is supplied by local production (based on Serbian, Moldovan, and Kazakh genetics), while 6 percent comes from imported hybrids (the EU, Russia, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Serbia, and Hungary).
Four Websites for Corn Growers in Central and Eastern Europe
Contact person: Sophie Bertrand, Communication Division – FNPSMS (National French Federation of Maize and Sorghum Seed Production)
The French board of maize seed producers (the F.N.P.S.M.S.) is the main promoter of maize crop in Europe. In 2014, the organisation launched four dedicated web pages aimed at promoting maize production and use of quality maize seeds in Central and Eastern Europe. Also, the objective of these websites is to publish technical information regarding maize.
The websites are regularly updated, especially by a market newsletter that is published every Monday (the Agritel news bulletin on the Black Sea maize market), as well as by key information on maize cropping and its economics, for all interested readers.
