German soybean harvest 2020 hit record level

German soybean production has increased more than tenfold since 2012 due to a steady expansion in production area. The soybean area for the 2020 harvest amounted to 32,900 hectares. This was up 14 per cent year-on-year. On the other hand, yields were slightly lower. Germany recorded a 2 per cent decline on the year to on average 28.6 decitonnes per hectare. According to investigations conducted by Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft (mbH), western Germany saw the strongest drop in yields. North Rhine-Westphalia harvested around 25 per cent less than a year earlier, whereas yields in Hesse fell 20 per cent. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania recorded a 12 per cent decrease. However, since production areas in Hesse and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania were significantly expanded in 2020, soybean output there was nevertheless larger than in 2019.

Whereas yields in South Germany were also slightly down, those in eastern Germany generally rose considerably. Saxony-Anhalt registered the biggest increase at 130 per cent to 23.2 decitonnes per hectare.