France forecasts drop in maize area as drought and costs deter farmers

France’s farm ministry on Tuesday forecast a sharp decline in maize planting this year, expecting farmers to be discouraged by drought losses last year and lower margins than other crops. In a first forecast for 2023 grain maize plantings, the ministry pegged the area, excluding crop grown for seeds, at 1.25 million hectares, down 7.6% from 2022. Including seed production, the grain maize area was projected at 1.33 million hectares, its lowest level in more than 30 years. In contrast, the area devoted to sunflower seed was expected to rise nearly 1% to 868,000 hectares, 24.2% higher than the average of the past five years, the ministry said. Despite drought-affected yields last year, sunflower seed remained attractive thanks to favourable market prices and lower cultivation costs than other crops, it added. For sugar beet, plantings were revised down to 380,000 hectares from April’s initial forecast of 382,000 hectares. The latest projection is down 5.3% from last year and 11.8% ...