The condition of French cereal crops mostly declined again in the week to June 29, farm office FranceAgriMer said on Friday, reflecting the impact of a prolonged dry spell in the European Union's top grain producer. Ratings remained generally above the level seen a year ago, but a heatwave this week has raised concern on grain markets that crops will suffer more significant damage.
For soft wheat, 78 percent of crops were in good or excellent condition by June 29, down from 81 percent a week earlier, FranceAgriMer said in a crop progress report. This was still above the 71 percent score a year ago and remained the best rating for the period in the past five years. Some 73 percent of spring barley was rated good or excellent, compared with 79 percent a week earlier, while maize (corn) was rated 81 percent good-to-excellent against 83 percent the previous week.
Harvesting of winter barley, usually the first cereal to be gathered in the French crop cycle, was 47 percent complete, up from 4 percent a week earlier and above the 34 percent progress at the same point last year. The hot, dry weather has allowed crops to mature faster and allowed field work to advance swiftly, though the heatwave has led to a series of field fires. Harvesting of soft wheat was under way in southern France, with 3 percent of the national area cut by Monday, FranceAgriMer said, marking an earlier start than last year. The smaller durum wheat harvest was 20 percent complete, accelerating from 1 percent the previous week and ahead of the 5 percent progress a year ago. Harvesting of spring barley was just starting, with 1 percent of the national area cut.
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