France grain harvests decline in volume but show high quality

Initial analyses from FranceAgriMer and Arvalis indicate that while France's wheat and barley harvests are declining in volume due to extreme weather and reduced planting areas, the quality of the crops remains high.

Soft wheat production is estimated at 31.92 million tonnes, a 4.3% decrease compared to the previous period. Despite this, the quality is described as ‘good to very good,’ with high protein levels and low water content. Specifically, 59% of soft wheat samples show protein levels above 11.5%, significantly higher than the five-year average of 51%.

Durum wheat production is expected to fall by 16.6% to 1.09 million tonnes, particularly in the West Ocean basin, though quality remains strong. In contrast, winter barley production rose to 8.8 million tonnes, up 5.8% from the five-year average, while spring barley production saw a 26.5% decline due to water shortages.