The drought affecting mostly western France has not had a big impact on the country's overall agriculture sector, although it was still too early to tell for the maize crop, the government said on Wednesday. It said that despite a heatwave in June, rain in the spring had assured satisfactory crop development.
"The effects of drought remain largely limited on French agricultural activity," the farm ministry said in a statement.
The country's wheat harvest is in full swing, but maize, which needs more water than other cereals and is grown in south-west France, is not harvested until September.
The French government said last week it expected wheat production at 35.53 million tonnes, down 5.6 percent on the big harvest last year. However, output would still be 4.6 percent up on the five-year average.