France’s grain maize area is forecast to jump by nearly 10% this year as farmers shift to spring varieties after heavy rain hit winter crops, according to the country’s farm ministry.
In its first projection on 2024 maize planting, the ministry expects farmers to plant 1.44 million hectares of grain maize, including crop grown for seeds, up 9.6% from last year. However, this still remains 5% below the average of the past five years and the second-smallest area in the past three decades after last year’s low.
The ministry noted that farmers are currently in the middle of the maize planting campaign. Initial rain delays had raised doubts over the extent to which growers would switch towards maize, but a warm, dry spell last week is expected to have helped field work.
The ministry’s report stated that the cereal estimates “confirm the expected rise in area for spring crops, linked to the decline for winter crops that were not sown because of adverse weather.”
Maize had lost ground in recent years as unattractive prices, high input costs, and a series of droughts and heatwaves during its key summer growth period deterred farmers from planting the crop. However, the shift towards spring crops like maize suggests farmers are adapting to the changing weather patterns and seeking alternatives to the challenging conditions faced by winter crops.
The increased maize area in France, a major European agricultural producer, could help offset potential supply concerns in the global grain market, which has been grappling with the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on wheat and other commodity exports.