France is facing one of its worst wheat harvests in 40 years after a winter full of rain and storms, according to a forecast published on Friday by the Ministry of Agriculture.
For soft wheat, which accounts for almost half of grain production in France, the EU’s largest agricultural producer, losses of almost 25% are expected compared to the average of the past five years.
Total French grain production for 2024 is estimated at 54.8 million tonnes, compared to 64.9 million tonnes in 2023 and 64.4 million tonnes in the average of the past five years.
Losses are also expected for barley, a decrease of 12.2% compared to the period 2019-2023; for durum wheat a decrease of 16.6%; and for oats a decrease of 21.7%.
The outlook for corn is better, with farmers predicting growth of 5.4%.
Moderate losses are also expected for the grape harvest in France, the Ministry of Agriculture said. Yields are expected to be lower than last year, but only slightly below the average of the past five years.
Most wine growing areas suffered from wet weather, mildew, cool temperatures during flowering, plus frost and hail. However, a good water supply to the soil will probably limit the drop in yields.
