France’s farm ministry on Tuesday lowered its estimate of 2021 soft wheat production in the European Union’s biggest grain grower to 36.69 million tonnes from 37.10 million projected in its initial outlook last month.
The reduced forecast would nonetheless be 25.8% above the volume last year, when France harvested one of its smallest wheat crops in decades, and 10% higher than the average of the past five years, the ministry said in a crop report.
Projected barley production was revised upwards to 11.69 million tonnes from 11.29 million forecast in July, putting output 12.2% above last year’s level and 1% above the five-year average.
France is widely expected to harvest more wheat and barley this year compared with last year’s disappointing harvest, but heavy rain during summer has raised concern about late damage.
“While volumes are returning to a decent level, concerns are focused on grain quality, which is being affected by high moisture,” the ministry said.
In its first production forecast for this year’s grain maize crop, the ministry projected output, excluding crop grown for seeds, at 12.88 million tonnes, down 3.2% from last year.
An expected increase in yields would be outweighed by a decline in planted area, the ministry said, adding its forecast was tentative with about two months left until the grain maize harvest.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Gus Trompiz and Forrest Crellin, Editing by Louise Heavens)