PARIS: Most French grain maize crops remained in good condition last week as farmers prepared to harvest this year’s crop, data from farm office FranceAgriMer showed on Friday.

For the week to Sept. 13 the proportion of crops rated good to excellent was 89%, unchanged from the previous week, FranceAgriMer’s cereal crop data showed.

The rating was well above the 59% good/excellent score at the same stage last year. Grain maize harvesting had yet to begin last week, the data showed, but FranceAgriMer officials this week said that harvesting is now under way.

Maize crops have generally benefited from summer rain that damaged wheat in the European Union’s biggest grain producer, though FranceAgriMer’s maize rating fell during a mini-heatwave the previous week. France’s farm ministry on Tuesday increased its forecast for this year’s grain maize output.

Heavy showers this week are expected to slow early harvest work before a drier spell from the middle of next week.