German farms are estimated to dedicate 6.03 million hectares of land to cereal crops for the 2026 harvest year. According to current projections from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), this represents an increase of 108,200 hectares-or 1.8%-compared to the 2025 figures.
With this area, German farmland will surpass the level recorded in 2023, following a year of drought-related decline in 2024, when the planted area reached its lowest point since 2010. In 2025, the area had recovered, rising by 4.4% compared to 2024.
Winter grain remains the primary focus of German grain cultivation. For the 2026 harvest, approximately 5.0 million hectares will be planted with winter grain, a 2.3% increase over 2025, accounting for 82.9% of the total cereal acreage. This category includes not only winter wheat (including spelt), but also winter barley, rye, and triticale (a wheat-rye cross). Destatis estimates that 1.26 million hectares will be used for winter barley (+4.3% over 2025), 533,600 hectares for rye (+0.8%), and 301,500 hectares for triticale (+4.8%).
Cultivation of summer grains will take up a significantly smaller proportion of the land compared to winter grains, with a total planted area of 1.03 million hectares (-0.4% compared to the previous year). Specific summer crops include corn (including corn-cob mix), with 505,900 hectares planted (+3.3%); summer wheat, utilizing 50,500 hectares (+5.9%); and oats, on 189,900 hectares (+1.5%). The notable exception is summer barley, whose planted area is projected to drop by 8.2%, falling to 287,100 hectares (a decrease of 25,800 hectares) compared to the 2025 harvest year.
For silage corn, an area of 1.93 million hectares is anticipated for the 2026 harvest, maintaining approximately the previous year’s level (-1.4%). On the acreage for winter rape, there is an increase of 53,500 hectares, reaching 1.14 million hectares (+4.9%). However, a decline in planted area is expected for root crops. Potato cultivation is projected to occupy 280,400 hectares, representing a 7.1% decrease of 21,400 hectares from 2025. Sugar beet acreage is expected to fall by 12.6%, down 48,700 hectares to 338,700 hectares.
Legumes occupy a relatively small portion of the agricultural land. For the 2026 harvest year, an increase in planted areas is forecast: the area for pea production for grain purposes is expected to rise by 6.6% compared to the previous year, reaching 147,400 hectares. Cowpea planted area is set to increase by 5.9% to 70,300 hectares, and soybean acreage is anticipated to rise by 17.8% to 51,000 hectares.
