BRUSSELS, BELGIUM — Grain trade association Coceral, in its third forecast in 2021 for the 27 European Union countries plus the United Kingdom, projects a total grain crop of 315.1 million tonnes, up from the previous forecast of 306.8 million tonnes and 6% higher than the 297.2 million tonnes harvested in 2020.

The report, released on May 18, revised wheat output up from 141.5 million tonnes to 145.8 million tonnes due mainly to excellent yield prospects in the Balkan countries and Spain.

Last year’s EU wheat crop was 128.2 million tonnes.

The report projected barley production to rise to 62.4 million tonnes from the previously forecasted 61.5 million tonnes. However, that total is down from 64 million tonnes in 2020.

“Good barley crops are expected in almost all areas of the EU, while the UK is projected to see a significant decline due to a reduction in spring barley plantings,” Coceral noted in the report.

The corn crop forecast was revised up to 65 million tonnes from 63.5 million tonnes in March and is higher than last year’s 62.7-million-tonne crop.

The rapeseed crop in the EU and UK is still forecast at 17.6 million tonnes, unchanged from the previous projection and up slightly from last year’s 17.2 million tonnes, mainly because of larger crops in the Balkan countries.