According to the farm office FranceAgriMer, most of this year’s French soft wheat crop was failing to meet a usual milling standard.
Indeed, only 39% of the crop was estimated to surpass the 76 kg per hectolitre (kg/hl).
Some 94% of the crop was meeting the basic 11% protein standard, with 77% exceeding 11.5%.
For Hagberg numbers, 57% of the crop was exceeding the 240 level, whereas 28% was below the 220 threshold often applied in France.
For durum wheat, the less produced variety used in pasta, the results also confirmed weak test weights as well as low Hagberg readings.
For test weights, 49% of the crop met the 76 kg/hl level. In Hagberg numbers just 20% of the crop was surpassing 250, with 40% below the 100 mark.
Poor quality in France has added to concerns about global durum supply, even if some bargain hunters are already working to mix the poor quality of French durum wheat with other origins and make the product marketable.
