According to initial estimates by the Czech Statistical Office, national yields will be 2.5 per cent lower than last year at slightly over 6.6 million tons, a drop of 170,000 tons less than last year. This is after a 0.3 per cent drop in plantings.

Statistics director at the department of agriculture, George Hrbek, said that, while yields will be down in 2014, the harvest will remain above the five and ten year average.

Officials are forecasting a 12.8 per cent drop in rapeseed harvested, a 184,000-ton reduction.

Other crops to come in lower will be winter wheat, rye, oats and spring wheat.

Over half of sown acres – 57 per cent – are growing grains, with the long-term trend for growing more rapeseed coming to a halt.