France raises wheat, maize crop estimates, cuts sugar beet

Paris: France’s farm ministry on Tuesday raised its estimate of the country’s 2024 soft wheat and maize output while lowering the sunflowerseed and sugar beet crops, warning of lower sugar content in beets than initially expected.

In a monthly report, the ministry pegged the French soft wheat harvest this year at 25.6 million metric tons, up from 25.4 million estimated last month but still 27% down on 2023 and one of the smallest soft wheat harvests since the 1980s.

Repeated heavy rain in France, the European Union’s largest grain producer, reduced planting and hampered development of wheat crops. For maize, harvesting of which is still under way, the ministry raised its projection of 2024 output, including crops grown for seeds, to 14.6 million tons from 14.5 million last month, now 13% above 2023 and 10% higher than the 2019/23 average due mainly to a larger area sown.