Drought has taken a heavy toll on Slovakia’s autumn crops, with corn and sugar beet production expected to fall sharply this year, according to the latest estimate from the Slovak Statistical Office. Corn production is forecast at around 686,000 tonnes, just 53 percent of last year’s level. Yields are also expected to be more than a third below the five-year average. Sugar beet is facing an even steeper decline, with production forecast to drop 62 percent year-on-year to around 464,000 tonnes. Sunflower production is expected to fall by 12 percent despite a larger planted area. Potatoes are the exception, with yields forecast to reach a record 32 tonnes per hectare — almost a quarter above the five-year average.
Source: TASR
Veronika Ščepánová, Photo: TASR
