France: Spring barley condition dips 1%, 91% of harvest completed

Some 47% of the soft wheat crop was rated good to very good, well below the rate of 76% seen in 2023, Fastmarkets reported on August 20.

The soft wheat harvest advanced by 10 percentage points during the week, reaching 98% by August 12, ahead of this time last year when 95% of the wheat crop had been harvested, and also above the five-year average of 95%.

The country’s agriculture ministry forecasts a sharp decline in soft wheat production to 25.2 million tonnes in 2024, down by 25% from the previous year and 27% below the five-year average.

The gloomy outlook is largely due to persistent rain, a lack of sunlight and cold weather, which have encouraged diseases that have significantly affected crop yields and quality in most of France’s agricultural regions.

Other grains, such as winter barley, have also been badly hit.

Durum wheat conditions were stable week on week, with 58% of the crop rated good to very good, down from 67% in the corresponding period of 2023.

The durum harvest progressed by 1 percentage points to 100% complete.

The average date for this stage is nine days later than 2023 and eight days later than the average for the previous five years.

Spring barley conditions dipped by one percentage point from one week prior to 64% rated good to very good, behind the 73% recorded at the same point in 2023.

The spring barley harvest advanced by 17 percentage points to 91% complete, behind last year’s pace of 98% and below the five-year average of 97%.

The median date of this stage is 14 days behind 2023 and eight days behind the average of the previous five years.

Corn crop conditions decreased by one percentage point to 76% in a good to very good state, down from 84% in the corresponding period of 2023.

The female flowering stage rose to 91%, compared with 81% a week earlier and 98% in 2023. The average for of the previous five years is 99%.

The median date of this stage is 11 days behind 2023 and the average of the previous five years.

The 50% grain moisture stage rose to 3%, versus 6% at this point in 2023 and 10% on average over the previous five years.

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