The condition of French soft wheat improved slightly in the week to July 3 while harvesting advanced only slowly, data from farming agency FranceAgriMer showed on Friday, suggesting the impact of rainfall following a hot, dry June. Some 66 percent of soft wheat crops were rated good or excellent compared with 65 percent the previous week, FranceAgriMer said in a weekly crop report. The good-to-excellent score for soft wheat had dropped by 10 points over the three preceding weeks.
Soft wheat harvesting, which had got off to an early start last month, was 6 percent complete by Monday, progressing by just two points over the week, it said. The harvest remained ahead of last year's pace when 1 percent of the crop area had been cut by the same date. Heavy rain last week brought needed moisture to crop belts in the European Union's biggest grain producer, after dry, sweltering weather during June that is expected to have lowered harvest yields.
However, rain hampers harvest work and also raises the risk of damage to crop quality, which determines wheat's suitability for flour-making. A hot, mostly dry spell this week should have helped fields dry out and let harvesting advance, although widespread showers are forecast again from this weekend. Harvesting of winter barley, usually earlier than for wheat, was 60 percent complete by Monday, up from 48 percent the prior week. The winter barley harvest, which was accelerated by the hot weather in June, was running nine days ahead of the average pace of the past five years, FranceAgriMer said.
The spring barley harvest was starting in some regions but was not yet significant enough to quantify on a national level, it said. Harvesting of durum wheat, the variety used in pasta, was 32 percent complete by July 3, up from 24 percent the previous week. Crop ratings for winter barley rose by 1 point over the week to 62 percent good/excellent. Spring barley ratings were unchanged at 65 percent while the score for maize fell by 1 point to 81 percent, FranceAgriMer said.