Croatia forecasts lower maize, soy and sugar beet crops in 2026
Croatia expects 2026 maize production to fall 8.6% to 1.5 million tonnes, while soy and sugar beet output are forecast to decline more sharply. Sunflower is the exception, with production projected to rise 20.3% to 243,000 tonnes.
Maize output forecast at 1.5 million tonnes
Croatia is expected to produce 1.5 million tonnes of commercial and seed maize in 2026, down 8.6% from 2025, according to the first estimates for the main late crops published by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, or DZS. The estimates reflect conditions as of September 1 and point to lower output across three of the four crops covered.
The expected average maize yield is 5.9 tonnes per hectare, compared with 6.4 tonnes per hectare in 2025. The yield decline is therefore a central factor in the lower production forecast. DZS did not provide separate figures for commercial and seed maize in the published estimates.
A crop of 1.5 million tonnes would leave less domestically produced maize available than in the previous year. That matters to livestock-feed manufacturers and other industrial consumers that depend on local grain, as well as to growers and traders managing deliveries after harvest. The source material does not provide price, stock or trade-flow forecasts, so the effect on import requirements cannot yet be quantified.
Soy and sugar beet record steeper declines
Soy production is forecast to fall 28.8% to 141,000 tonnes. The expected yield is 2.2 tonnes per hectare, only slightly below the 2.3 tonnes recorded in 2025. Because the reduction in output is much larger than the change in yield, the figures indicate that factors beyond productivity per hectare, including the harvested area, are relevant to the forecast, although DZS figures cited by Index.hr and Glas Slavonije do not state the area.
The contraction would reduce the domestic soy volume available to crushers, feed producers and other buyers. However, the estimates do not specify crop quality, processing demand or the balance between domestic use and external trade. Those variables will determine whether the lower harvest primarily affects processor utilization, purchasing competition or regional sourcing.
Sugar beet faces a 26.1% production decline to 300,000 tonnes. Its expected yield falls to 40 tonnes per hectare from 57 tonnes in 2025, the largest stated year-on-year yield deterioration among the crops in the estimate. The combination of sharply lower output and yield is particularly relevant for sugar processors because beet is bulky and is normally sourced close to factories.
Sunflower is the only crop forecast to grow
Sunflower production is projected to increase 20.3% to 243,000 tonnes. This expansion comes despite a small decline in expected yield, to 2.9 tonnes per hectare from 3 tonnes in 2025. The figures therefore suggest that a larger producing area is supporting the increase, though the cited DZS data do not give a hectare figure.
The divergent crop outlook will create different conditions for Croatia's processing industries. Oilseed buyers face substantially less soy but more sunflower, potentially changing the mix of locally available crushing material. Sugar factories face a much smaller beet crop, while feed and grain businesses must prepare for reduced maize supply. These are preliminary estimates rather than final harvest results, and their commercial impact will also depend on quality, processor demand and supplies available from neighboring markets.
