German soybean yields rise 43% this marketing year

In Germany, UFOP reports that soybean area and output in Germany has surged 43% to 84,100 tons, taking a step towards closing up the EU’s top producers, Italy, Romania and France.

According to Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft (mbH) (AMI), significant amounts of soybeans have only been grown in Germany since 2015. Back then, 12,000 hectares of land were under soybean cultivation, producing a yield of 27.3 decitonnes per hectare and a harvest of 33,000 tonnes. Since that time, the soybean area has more than doubled to reach 29.000 hectares. The amount harvested has also more than doubled. Yields were lower than average in the previous year, at 24 decitonnes per hectare, but are expected to be up around 5 decitonnes per hectare at just under 29 decitonnes per hectare in 2019. Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg together account for around 84 percent of total soybean production in Germany. Bavaria is the top producer with an area of 16,000 hectares and an output of 49,000 tonnes, followed by Baden-Wuerttemberg with 7,600 hectares and 21,000 tonnes. However, farmers in North Rhine-Westphalia generated the highest yields of 36 decitonnes per hectare, whereas farmers in Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg reached 32 decitonnes per hectare and 28 decitonnes per hectare respectively.

In view of the rising demand for GM-free proteins for animal feed and the human diet, the Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP) sees a large growth potential for soy together with the other large-grained pulses. Farmers have a growing interest in opening up a new marketing alternative with grain legumes and expanding the range of rotation crops with flowering plants. UFOP has underlined that this fact should be taken into account when developing an agricultural strategy that is geared to be economically sustainable. According to the association, the unique selling point of “GM-free” and regional origin promote product acceptance by consumers and create a clear marketing advantage.