France is facing one of the worst wheat harvests of the past 40 years after a winter of rain and storms, according to a forecast released by the Ministry of Agriculture on Friday.
Losses of nearly 25% compared to the past five-year average are expected for soft wheat, which accounts for nearly half of the grain production in France, the EU’s largest agricultural producer.
France’s total grain production for 2024 is estimated at 54.8 million tons, compared to 64.9 million tons in 2023 and 64.4 million tons in the past five-year average.
Losses are also expected for barley, down 12.2% compared to the 2019-2023 period; durum wheat, down 16.6%; and oats, down 21.7%.
The outlook is better for maize, where agriculturalists predict an increase of 5.4%.
Moderate losses are also expected for the grape harvest in France, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. Yields are expected to be lower than the previous year, but only slightly below the average of the past five years.
Most wine-growing regions struggled with wet weather, mildew, cool temperatures during flowering, plus frost and hail. However, a good water supply to the soil is likely to limit the fall in yield.
