June 2013: Wet weather benefits some EU crops but raises concerns for others
Rains across Europe last week came as a mixed blessing with some member state crops benefitting from a welcome increase in moisture levels, while others had concerns over excess wetness exacerbated. In the US, wet weather once again slowed the planting of key crops.
Rains increased across France, southern parts of the UK, Germany, Poland, northern Italy and northern Romania last week. While the rains in southern UK and northern Romania were beneficial in improving moisture, the rains in France, Germany, Italy, and Poland increased wetness concerns. Additional rains across southern Germany and southern Poland this week will maintain wet conditions. The continued dry pattern in much of Spain will favour wheat harvesting there. In the former Soviet Union, showers increased across northern and western Ukraine, Belarusand in the Central Region of Russia last week, which further improved moisture there for heading wheat. However, dryness does continue across far southern and eastern Ukraine and the North Caucasus.
