According to the farm office FranceAgriMer, French softwheat harvest sped up last week as dry weather offered farmers a respite after heavy rainfall, but was still lagging far behind last year.
In fact, about 47% of the French soft wheat crop area had been cut by Monday this week, up from 14% a week earlier but down compared with 87% of the crop harvested by the same time last year.
About 85% of the French durumwheat crop area was harvested, compared to 63% of a week earlier and 99% by the same time last year.
The condition of French soft wheat in the week to July 26 stood at 75% of crops rated good or excellent, unchanged from a week earlier.
While durum wheat condition stood 66% of crops rated good or excellent, just one point bad from the week earlier.
FranceAgriMer’s crop ratings give an assessment of yield potential and not grain quality, which is hard to determine until the crop is harvested.
France, the European Union’s largest grain grower, is widely expected to register a rebound in wheat production, but heavy rainfall, raised concern about late losses to yields and a deterioration in grain quality, which determines wheat’s suitability for milling.
Ho the other hand, the winter barley harvest was nearly over with 98% harvested by July 26.
It was complete by the same period last year.
Some 39% of French spring barley had been harvested by the same time compared with 12% previous week and 53% the year earlier.
For corn, which is harvested in the autumn, FranceAgriMer estimates 90% of the crop in good/excellent condition by July 26, unchanged from the previous week.
