Persistent rainfall in France is reducing soft wheat production, resulting in a high decrease in the overall harvest and substantial losses for individual farmers.
ADVERTISEMENTHeavy and frequent rainfall is causing a severe impact on harvest in France, with soft wheat production in steep decline.
At Guillaume Lefort’s farm in Larchant (Seine-et-Marne), soft wheat growth is uneven across his 70-hectare plot. Some ears are still green, and his harvest will start later than usual. He expects a 20% loss compared with a normal year.
This year, the harvest is estimated to be about 29.7 million tonnes, a decline of 15% compared to 2023.
On one farm in the Indre region, wheat is lying down due to recurrent storms and strong winds.
« We’re down to 5.3 tonnes [per hectare], whereas in an average or normal year, we should be doing 7 tonnes, » says cereal farmer Nicolas Pailloux. He expects to lose around €15,000.
With global warming, he is trying to adapt, but « unpredictability makes it complicated », he says. On the whole of French cereal production, the loss is estimated at -13%.
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