E-Malt.com News article: France: France set for bigger winter barley crop this year

France is set for a bigger winter barley crop this year and a similar-sized rapeseed harvest to last year as increased planting offsets an expected fall in yields from bumper levels last year, the farm ministry said on June 16.

In first production projections for this year's harvest, the ministry forecast 2026 winter barley production at 9.0 million metric tons, up 8% from last year.

With winter barley harvesting only just under way in southern zones, yield projections remained tentative and it is difficult to predict the impact of a late-May heatwave, it said in a crop report.

Rain helped cereal crop conditions improve in early June. A hot spell in France this week should speed up winter barley harvesting but may stress spring crops, according to traders.

For rapeseed, France's main oilseed crop, the ministry forecast winter rapeseed production at 4.65 million tons, little changed from last year's crop of 4.63 million tons.

Rapeseed production in France comes almost exclusively from the winter crop, while barley production includes a significant portion of spring crop.

In updated area estimates, the ministry nudged up its soft wheat sowing estimate to 4.63 million hectares from 4.61 million estimated in May, now 3% above last year and level with the five-year average.

Estimated grain maize area, including crop grown for seeds, was cut sharply to 1.31 million hectares from 1.44 million last month.

The maize estimate was 19% less than last year and 13% below the five-year average, reflecting a shift from spring cereals to winter grains and oilseeds, the ministry said.

Farmers have turned away from maize in particular due to poor yields in recent years and rising fertiliser and energy costs following the Iran war.

For sugar beet, the ministry trimmed its area estimate to 373,000 hectares from 378,000 hectares in May, 6% below both last year's level and the five-year average.


16 June, 2026