German agricultural exports rose 9.9 per cent over the first three quarters of 2011, the BMELV (ministry of agriculture) has revealed. Germany is expected to export €58 billion worth of farm produce this year.

The export rises are primarily in dairy products, which rose 18 per cent, although sales of meat have also risen by 5.6 per cent. The news will be welcome, after a dry spring and extremely wet harvest led to reductions in some cereal crops in Germany and had a particular impact on the oilseed rape harvest; Germany, usually the EU’s number on producer, was overtaken by France this year, after the country’s rapeseed crops were affected by dire weather.

Exports outside the EU were also up 18 per cent compared to 2009, whilst exports within the EU rose 5.9 per cent.