Latest News

French winter season grain sowings ahead of in 2015 after dry weather condition

French farmers had sown 78% of the anticipated soft wheat location for next year's harvest by last Monday, ahead of the location sown by the very same stage last year, FranceAgriMer stated, in a sign that this month's dry weather enabled field work to accelerate.

The soft wheat area sown compared to 62% a week previously and 70% a year earlier however was still behind the five-year average of 83%, the farm workplace stated in a crop report on Friday.

French sowings and maize harvesting this year have been obstructed by heavy rainfall during the wettest September in 25 years and in October.

The hold-up raised bad memories of last year's harvest when late sowing due to damp weather condition was one of the issues that led to among the worst soft wheat harvests in 40 years.

In winter season barley, 89% of the anticipated area for next year's. harvest had actually been planted by Monday, versus 78% a week earlier and. 83% by the exact same stage in 2023. That compared to a 2019-2023. average of 91%.

The maize harvest was 71% complete by Nov. 11, up from 58% a. week earlier however below 96% a year back and a five-year. average of 93%, FranceAgriMer said.

Growers were speeding up field work before rains begin again. next week, Franck Laborde, the head of French maize growers. group AGPM, said.

The regions lagging furthest behind are the west and the. south-west. Climate condition there ought to enable collecting to. continue until mid-week, so we certainly have a window of. opportunity to get closer to normal harvest development, Laborde. informed Reuters.

Farmers are mobilised to generate the harvest so as to. maintain quality, because from now on, and even since a couple of days. ago, there is a risk of quality deterioration if the harvest. does not happen really quickly, he included.

(source: Reuters)