France: Crop conditions further decline in week to May 26 but less sharply than before

French cereal crop conditions declined in the week to May 26 but less sharply than in the previous week, data from farm office FranceAgriMer showed on May 30, suggesting showers may have tempered drought in northern regions, Business Recorder reported.

For soft wheat, France’s most produced cereal, the office rated 70% of crops as good or excellent by May 26, down from 71% a week earlier and following a two-point drop in the preceding week. The rating was still above a score of 61% a year ago, when torrential rain led to the smallest French harvest since the 1980s.

In contrast to last year’s soggy conditions, a very dry spring has parched crop belts in the north of France and a swathe of northern Europe, raising doubts about the extent to which production will recover from the poor 2024 harvest.

But traders expect showers and cool temperatures in the past week to give crops some respite ahead of a hot spell at the end of this week. For spring barley, the good/excellent rating decreased by one point to 74% after a six-point drop the prior week.

The corresponding winter barley score also slipped by one point, to 65%, after a two point fall the previous week. The good/excellent rating for grain maize, however, declined by two points to 85%, after a one-point decrease the preceding week. That was still above the year-earlier score of 81%.

Maize planting is almost complete, with 97% of the expected area sown by Monday, May 26, FranceAgriMer said.