France cuts soft wheat crop estimate, raises maize forecast

France’s farm ministry on Tuesday again lowered its estimate of the country’s 2024 soft wheat output, now expected 27% below last year’s volume, making it one of the worst harvests in the past 40 years in the European Union’s largest grain grower. Wet weather since last autumn in France has delayed plantings, hurt plant development and increased crop disease, prompting observers to regularly cut their grain crop estimates. The ministry lowered its estimate of the 2024 soft wheat crop to 25.78 million metric tons from 26.32 million last month and the lowest volume since 1986. The estimate is now in line with French analysts who have pegged the harvest between 25-26 million tonnes. For barley, the ministry cut this year’s output to 10.05 million tonnes versus 10.40 million estimated last month, now 18% below last year. Of this, winter barley output was expected to fall 28% to 7.0 million tons while spring barley would rise 18% to 3.05 million. For grain maize, harvesting of which is ...