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French wheat area to rebound but remain below average, farm ministry states

France's main wheat crop will gain back location for next year's harvest after a dry end to fall avoided a repeat of rainhit sowing a year earlier, though planting stayed below the average of current years, the farm ministry said.

Farmers in France, the European Union's greatest grain manufacturer, are anticipated to plant 4.51 million hectares of winter soft wheat for next year, up 8.7% compared with the area collected this year but 0.8% lower than the average of the past five years, the ministry stated in its first estimates for 2025.

It is seeing a rebound of about 9% after the very weak 2024 project but is still at a low level with respect to the last 30 years, the ministry stated of the soft wheat location.

Less showers and mild temperature levels last month enabled growers to capture up on earlier rain hold-ups that had threatened a. comparable problem to last autumn, when waterlogged conditions. slashed planting and added to the tiniest wheat harvest. considering that the 1980s in 2024.

With soft wheat sowing practically complete, the condition of. emerged crops was better overall than a year ago but not as. beneficial as prior years, the ministry added.

It forecasted the winter season barley area at 1.23 million. hectares, down 0.8%, and the winter rapeseed location at 1.34. million hectares, up 0.6%.

Rapeseed crops were well established normally but the state. of winter barley plants was hardly better than a year ago, it. added.

For durum wheat, utilized in pasta, the location sown with winter. crop was predicted at 206,000 hectares, down 1.9% from this. year's harvest and the most affordable in thirty years.

Wheat and rapeseed are almost exclusively winter season crops in. France, whereas barley production consists of a big quantity of. spring crop.

For the 2024 harvest, the ministry dramatically raised its. projection of grain maize production, consisting of crops grown for. seeds, to 15.00 million metric heaps from 14.62 million projected. last month.

The quote was 15.5% above in 2015's crop, supported by. a sharp rise in planting this year.

For sugar beet, approximated 2024 production was cut to 32.40. million heaps from 33.73 million, though still 2.2% above last. year, after increased planting.

The steep cut, which the ministry attributed to weak sugar. content connected to unfavorable weather and disease, brought the. main estimate in line with that of the sugar beet growers'. union.

(source: Reuters)