Recent data from farm office FranceAgriMer revealed a slight decline in the condition of French soft wheat, already at its lowest point in four years, while spring barley ratings hit a record low. The persistent rain has led to waterlogged fields, impacting crop conditions significantly.
The mild and wet weather conditions observed this year have accelerated plant growth for some crops; however, excessive rainfall has posed challenges across many agricultural areas. Forecasts indicate more showers in the upcoming week before a potential period of drier weather from mid-April.
As of April 1, approximately 65% of French soft wheat was rated as in good or excellent condition, a slight decrease from the previous week’s 66% and a significant drop from 93% a year ago. This marks the lowest rating for this time of year since 2020 when heavy rain similarly affected French wheat crops during planting and early growth stages.
The rain-impacted planting season in France and other Western European regions has led the European Commission to anticipate a four-year low in European Union wheat production for 2024. The EU crop monitor has described conditions for many winter grain crops as mediocre due to adverse weather conditions.
Notably, the ratings for winter barley and durum wheat also declined to 66% and 70%, respectively, both hitting four-year lows. Farmers managed to complete durum sowing last week after delays caused by rain.
Spring barley faced the most challenging conditions according to FranceAgriMer’s records dating back to 2012, with only 61% of plants rated as good or excellent, down significantly from 97% a year earlier. Sowing progress for spring barley slowed down last week after rapid advancement two weeks prior, with 86% of the expected area planted compared to 82% the previous week. In contrast, farmers had completed spring barley sowing by the same period last year.