Czech cereal harvest forecast to fall by nearly 16 percent

Czech farmers are expected to harvest just under 6.47 million tonnes of basic cereals this year, according to the Czech Statistical Office's first crop estimate, released on Friday. That is 15.9 percent less than last year and well below the five-year average.

The rapeseed harvest is also forecast to decline, falling 17.1 percent year on year to around 847,000 tonnes.

The lower harvest is mainly the result of exceptionally dry weather in the spring, which has left farmers expecting a below-average cereal crop this year.