The European Commission on Thursday cut its forecast for this year’s EU corn crop by 10%, the second sharp cut in a row amid severe drought, Reuters reported.

The Commission lowered its forecast for the production of usable maize in the EU in 2022/23 to 59.3 million tonnes, compared with 65.8 million tonnes forecast a month ago.

This total means that the EU will record its lowest harvest in seven years.

Maize crops have survived heat waves and what is believed to be Europe’s worst drought in at least 500 years.

The commission has already lowered its forecast for the corn harvest by almost 6 million tons, or 8%.

Brussels did not cite weather conditions but said the cut in corn forecasts mainly reflected lower yields in Romania, France, Bulgaria and Hungary.

The commission’s latest estimates are higher than some market estimates, although traders say rains and cool temperatures in mid-August will avoid further crop losses.

The smaller crop prompted the Commission to raise its forecast for EU maize imports in the 2022/23 season to 20 million tonnes from 16.5 million tonnes forecast a month ago, and to cut EU maize exports to an expected 4 million tonnes from 5 million tonnes .

Instead, the EU executive raised its forecast for EU usable wheat production to 126.0 million tonnes from 123.9 million tonnes expected at the end of July.

Expected EU wheat exports were unchanged at 36 million tonnes, prompting the Commission to raise its forecast for end-of-season stocks by 2 million tonnes to 15.7 million tonnes.

On oilseeds, the Commission again lowered its forecast for the EU sunflower seed crop from 10.5 million tonnes to 9.9 million tonnes, reflecting damage caused by weather conditions, as was the case with maize.

For canola, the 2022/23 production estimate was revised upwards to 18.8 million tonnes from the 18.0 million tonnes forecast last month.