According to data from farm office FranceAgriMer, the condition of French soft wheat crops steadied at a four-year low last week, while maize planting accelerated as a warm spell helped rain-soaked fields dry out.
For soft wheat, 64% of the crop was estimated to be in good or excellent condition by May 13, unchanged from the previous week but down from 93% a year earlier. This score was the lowest for this time of year since 2020, when crops were also set back by heavy rain during planting.
France is the European Union’s biggest wheat grower and exporter. Weak crop development coupled with a sharp fall in the planted area could lead to a much smaller wheat harvest this year.
The good/excellent score for durum wheat, used in pasta, edged up to 66% from 65% the previous week but remained at a four-year low for the period. The rating for winter barley was unchanged at 66%, also a four-year low, while spring barley held steady at 74%, a two-year low.
For maize, 72% of the expected area had been sown by Monday, up from 54% the previous week, but still trailing the year-earlier pace of 85% and an average of 91% for the same week over the past five years. France’s farm ministry had forecast a nearly 10% jump in the maize area this year after wet weather disrupted earlier plantings.
While last week’s summer-like weather helped field work, showers this week and more rain forecast next week could hamper ongoing maize planting. A return to wet weather could also hinder a recovery in wheat conditions and heighten concerns about crop disease in damp fields.