France: Nearly 94% of winter barley crop gets good/excellent rating in farm office’s latest report

Nearly all soft wheat crops in France, the European Union's biggest producer, were in good shape in the week to Feb. 14, farm office FranceAgriMer said on February 18 in its first cereal crop update of 2022.

An estimated 95% of soft wheat, France's main cereal crop, was in good or excellent condition, unchanged from a week earlier.

The latest rating was slightly below a 99% score in FranceAgriMer's previous report issued before winter but was above the 86% registered a year ago.

Wheat crops sown last autumn in western Europe have generally benefited from moderate winter weather and adequate moisture, according to analysts.

Growing conditions also remained favourable for French winter barley and durum wheat, with good/excellent ratings of 94% and 89% respectively, FranceAgriMer says.

Sowing of spring barley, the first major cereal crop to be drilled at the end of winter, was well under way with 27% of the expected area sown by Feb. 14, the office said.

That compared with 20% a week earlier and 16% a year ago.