Stats: Slovakia Expects 17-percent Decline Y-o-Y in Grain Harvest in 2026

Bratislava, 7 July (TASR) - Slovakia's total harvest of cereal grains is expected to reach nearly 2.6 million tonnes this year, down by almost 530,000 tonnes when compared to last year's final yield, according to the first crop estimate compiled by the Statistics Office based on data as of 20 June 2026. This represents a significant 17-percent year-on-year drop, mainly driven by lower per-hectare yields across all monitored crops. The total area sown of cereal grains changed only slightly, reaching 517,400 hectares, down by 1.8 percent (some 10,000 hectares) when compared to last year. Wheat, Slovakia's most widely cultivated grain, covers more than two thirds of the cereal crop area at almost 375,000 hectares, down by only 1.7 percent from last year. The average yield per hectare is expected to reach 5.15 tonnes, down from last year's 5.98 tonnes, and almost 9 percent below the five-year average. The total yield for wheat is expected to reach 1.9 million tonnes, down by almost 16 percent from last year. Barley, the second-most common cereal, is expected to yield 559,000 tonnes, down by more than 22 percent year-on-year, with a 2.6-percent reduction in the area sown, now at 114,000 hectares. The yield per hectare is expected to reach 4.90 tonnes on average, down by a fifth when compared to last year and 6.7 percent below the five-year average. Rye is estimated to reach 29.5000 tonnes in yield, roughly the same as last year, while oats could see a drop of 16 percent to 27,900 tonnes, mostly due to the area sown dropping by more than 16 percent to 10,300 hectares. Triticale is expected to yield 35,200 tonnes, which is 7 percent less than last year despite the area sown rising by 4.5 percent to 9,300 hectares. Oil-seed rape is expected to follow suit, confirming that a larger sown area is not, in and of itself, enough to increase the yield, which is now estimated at 422,000 tonnes, down by almost 8 percent when compared to 2025 despite the area sown increasing by nearly 9 percent. This is mainly due to a lower per-hectare yield estimated at 3.02 tonnes, down 15 percent y-o-y and slightly below the five-year average. jrg/df