France's maize harvest slashes to lowest in 50 years amid heatwave

Weeks of intense heat and drought have pushed France into its third heatwave since late May, with little rain expected in the coming days. Grain trade group Coceral cut the EU maize production outlook by nearly 8% to 52.7 million tonnes – the lowest since 2007 – and data firm Expana reduced its forecast by 7%, both citing weather damage in France and Hungary.

French analysts now project the national maize crop at about 8.9 million tonnes, roughly one‑third below last year's level, and warn that yields could fall below 8 million tonnes, a level not seen since 1976. Some western French farmers have begun harvesting non‑irrigated maize early to salvage it for livestock feed. The growers’ association AGPM forecasts a 30% drop to 9.5 million tonnes, the lowest this century, and expects its estimate to be revised downward.

The adverse conditions also affect Hungary and Spain, while Romania, benefitting from ample rainfall, is expected to produce around 8.2 million tonnes, offsetting some EU supply loss. The overall EU sowing area for maize has fallen below 8 million hectares for the first time this century, raising concerns about feed supply and possible increases in imports.