During the January–March 2026 monitoring period, most cultivated areas in Germany experienced generally favorable agrometeorological conditions, though pronounced regional differences were observed. This period is critical for winter wheat. According to the crop phenology calendar, winter wheat was the only crop in an active growth stage during these three months, spanning the mid-to-late overwintering phase and the key transition from winter dormancy to spring green-up. At the national scale, CropWatch agrometeorological indicators depict mixed conditions: cumulative rainfall totaled 147 mm, 18% below the 15-year average—drier than normal but still sufficient to meet crop requirements; mean temperature was close to the long-term norm at 2.9°C; photosynthetically active radiation reached 248 MJ/m², 5% below average. Correspondingly, potential accumulated biomass was 436 g DM/m², 2% lower than the seasonal average. The national cropland planting fraction (CALF) was 97%, and Maximum VCI (VCIx) reached 0.81, indicating that despite some challenges related to precipitation, overall crop health was not noticeably affected and performance remained good. The crop production index reached 1.10, suggesting yield potential above the baseline expectation.

Germany's wheat production shows a pattern of "slightly increased area, slightly reduced yield, and steadily growing total production," with an overall favorable production outlook (Fig. 2.11/Fig. 2.12). Winter wheat planting area increased year-on-year from 2,482 thousand hectares in 2025 to 2,596 thousand hectares in 2026, a rise of 4.6%. National average wheat yield decreased by 2.1%, from 7,732 kg/ha in 2025 to 7,570 kg/ha. The expansion in planted area offset the yield reduction, and Germany's winter wheat production is projected to increase to 19.65 million tonnes, up 2.4%.

Figure 2.11 German winter wheat distribution during January to March 2026

Figure 2.12 German winter wheat yield map during January to March 2026