France: State of wheat crop declines, winter barley conditions seen at their poorest since 2020

The state of French soft wheat crops declined slightly last week to remain at their worst in four years, data from farm office FranceAgriMer showed on March 15, as fields remained soggy after a wet winter in the European Union's biggest grain producer.

Some 66% of French soft wheat was rated as being in good or excellent condition by March 11, down from 68% a week earlier, FranceAgriMer said in a cereal report.

That was the lowest rating for the period since 2020, when 63% of soft wheat was rated good/excellent in another season marked by wet weather.

Heavy rain since autumn has disrupted planting and early crop development in France and other parts of western Europe. The wet weather led Strategie Grains analysts this week to cut its forecasts for 2024 soft wheat and barley production in the EU.

FranceAgriMer also estimated that winter barley conditions were at their poorest since 2020, with 68% of crops rated good/excellent, down slightly from 69% the previous week.

Sowing of spring barley picked up after hardly progressing in previous weeks, with 39% of the expected area sown against 28% a week earlier, FranceAgriMer's report showed.

But spring barley sowing remained well behind both a year-earlier level of 99% and the five-year average of 83%.

FranceAgriMer does not comment on crop conditions in its weekly reports. But officials told reporters this week that the wet growing season had left crops in a varying state and was complicating sowing decisions.

After rain curtailed planting of winter wheat and barley, further precipitation in March may lead farmers to shift some area from spring barley to later-sown maize (corn), sunflower and sorghum, Abir Mahajba of FranceAgriMer said during a press conference on Wednesday.

Durum wheat sowing did not advance last week, with 92% of the anticipated area tilled, FranceAgriMer's data showed, as it lagged the five-year average of 98%.

Weather forecasts pointed to easing rain in the next two weeks in France but some showers are still expected in the coming days.

15 March, 2024