From May to July 2026, the main winter wheat producing areas in the Northern Hemisphere entered the harvest period successively. Based on CropWatch cloud-platform crop condition remote sensing and meteorological data, this bulletin presents a final production review for eight major winter wheat producing countries in the Northern Hemisphere (China, France, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, the United States, India, and Canada).

The combined winter wheat planted area of the eight Northern Hemisphere countries was 125,075 thousand hectares, an increase of about 0.4% over 2025; the average yield was 4,466 kg/ha, up about 0.1% year-on-year; and total production reached 558.64 million tonnes, about 0.5% higher than in 2025. Area expanded slightly, yields recovered overall, and total production increased modestly.

There were marked differences among countries: China, France, Russia, and Ukraine achieved production increases. France benefited notably from favorable light and temperature conditions during the grain-filling period, leading to a clear yield improvement. In Russia and Ukraine, improved weather during the grain-filling period contributed to a significant recovery in yields (Russia’s yield rose 6.1% year-on-year, while Ukraine’s area recovered substantially and its yield also improved), resulting in relatively large production increases. China’s production increased steadily, supported by irrigation and effective prevention and control. Germany’s production remained unchanged from the previous year. From March to May, persistent hot and dry conditions in the U.S. Great Plains and extreme high temperatures in India were the main climate anomalies causing sharp yield declines in the United States and India; Canada’s total production declined due to reduced planted area.

Overall, the eight major winter wheat producing countries showed a pattern of "slightly larger area, recovering yields, and a modest increase in total production".

Table 1.5 Winter wheat production estimates for eight major winter-wheat-producing countries in the Northern Hemisphere, May–July 2026