Paris
France is on course for a big wheat harvest this summer despite a sharp fall in crop ratings during a dry, hot spell in the past month, farm office FranceAgriMer said on Thursday.
In its first outlook for the 2015 harvest in the European Union’s top grain grower, the office forecast French soft wheat production of 37.9 million tonnes, up 1.1 percent from 2014 and in line with a farm ministry estimate this week. Like the ministry, it saw a rise in area offsetting an expected decrease in average yield.
The office’s wheat harvest outlook, based on regional reports on July 1-2 and released at a monthly news conference, was above many trade estimates that see the French crop at 36.5-37 million tonnes in the wake of a dry, hot spell.
It said, however, that the condition of soft wheat declined again last week, with 75 percent of crops rated good or excellent by July 6 against 78 percent a week earlier.