France cuts soft wheat crop estimate, raises corn forecast

PARIS, Sept 17 (Reuters) - France’s agriculture ministry on Tuesday again cut its estimate for the country’s 2024 soft wheat output, now expected to be 27% below last year’s volume, making it one of the worst harvests in 40 years in the European Union’s biggest grain producer. Wet weather since last autumn in France has delayed planting, stunted plant development and increased crop disease, prompting observers to regularly cut their grain crop estimates. The ministry cut its estimate for the 2024 soft wheat crop to 25.78 million metric tons from 26.32 million last month, the lowest since 1986. The estimate is now in line with French forecasters who have estimated the harvest at between 25 and 26 million tons. For barley, the ministry cut this year’s output to 10.05 million tonnes from an estimated 10.40 million tonnes last month, now down 18% from last year. Of that total, winter barley output was expected to fall 28% to 7.0 million tonnes, while spring barley was expected to rise ...