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Dire French wheat harvest winds down, maize crop conditions dip

French farmers have actually nearly finished collecting this year's soft wheat crop, expected to be the smallest because the 1980s, while maize crop conditions decreased for a 3rd week as heat continued, information from farm office FranceAgriMer showed on Friday.

Some 98% of the soft wheat crop location had actually been harvested by Aug. 12, up from 88% a week earlier, FranceAgriMer stated in a. weekly cereal report.

Months of heavy rain in France, the European Union's greatest. grain producer, have cut wheat planting and yields in a setback. for farmers also dealing with lower rates and greater costs.

FranceAgriMer rated simply 48% of the soft wheat crop as excellent. or outstanding, the worst ranking given that 2016 when heavy rain also. contributed to one of France's smallest harvests in decades.

Farmers ended up gathering durum wheat last week while. nearing the end of the spring barley harvest, with 91% of the. crop cut, FranceAgriMer stated.

Collecting of winter season barley ended during the previous week.

With wheat and barley crops almost all generated, attention. is moving towards the maize crop, which is gathered in. fall.

The good/excellent rating for maize reduced to 76% from 77% a. week previously. That compared to an 82% score three weeks. earlier and was likewise below a year-earlier level of 84%.

Hot weather has actually grasped southern Europe in current weeks,. infecting France considering that late July.

Nevertheless, the short duration of extreme heat and wetness. reserves from the excess rainfall earlier this year could. benefit summer season crops such as maize and sunflower seed.

France's geological company BRGM stated today that. groundwater reserves were at extremely satisfactory levels at the. start of August.

It's good news for all sectors that make use of groundwater for. watering, BRGM's Violaine Bault informed press reporters. The majority. of users are able to water with no constraints.

France's farming ministry last week projection that grain. 2024 maize production would rise 8% from in 2015. That was due. to a jump in plantings, with yield forecasted to fall.

(source: Reuters)