Germany's wheat harvest did not recover quite as strongly from a frost-hit start as some analysts forecast, farm officials said, but rated quality as "satisfactory" despite some findings of lower protein.

Germany's farm ministry pegged the European Union's second-ranked wheat harvest at 22.5m tonnes, well above market estimates earlier in the season after setbacks from a February cold snap and a dry spring;

However, the figure, down 1.5% year on year, fell short of hopes from some private commentators, such as analysis group Strategie Grains, which estimated the crop at 23.4m tonnes.

German-based trading house Toepfer estimated the harvest at 22.9m tonnes after late weather conditions turned "practically perfect for crop development".

Quality specifications

The ministry offered some support to Toepfer comments that that results had from the initial harvest had indicated protein levels which were "disappointing, particularly in northern Germany".

Protein results in some areas had come in lower than had been expected, reducing the average level to 13.0% compared with 13.1% last year, the ministry said.

However, it rated the quality of the crop, a major source of harder wheat in Europe, as "satisfactory" overall.

The specific weight, the weight of grain in a given volume, was in line with last year's result, while officials termed "not a problem" Hagberg falling numbers, a measure of the sprouting which saps grain's starch reserves.

Market stand-off

The ministry pegged the overall grains and oilseed harvest at 44.7m tonnes a gain of 6.7%, reflecting largely a recovery of 25% in rapeseed output from last season's poor result.

And it described as "quiet" the local grains market amid a stand-off between farmers and buyers, with high prices deterring purchases while growers show a "weak level of willingness" to sell, particularly milling wheat and feed barley.

Ilse Aigner, the German farm minister, said that Germany was following "very closely" developments in food markets.

Given tight global supplies, it was important "that the world's most important agricultural export countries co-ordinate their actions as closely as possible", she said.