French wheat mostly in good shape, spring barley sowing under way

PARIS: Farm office FranceAgriMer said on Friday that 92 percent of French soft wheat crops were in good or excellent condition as of Feb. 13, close to the 94 percent rating of a year ago.

The rating was stable compared with a week earlier and down from 94 percent as of Nov. 28 in the office's previous crop progress report before the start of winter.

FranceAgriMer estimated that 91 percent of winter barley crops were in good or excellent condition as of Monday, compared with 90 percent a week earlier and 95 percent a year ago.

Sowing of spring barley was under way, with 8 percent of the expected area drilled by Monday, compared with 6 percent the previous week and 5 percent a year ago, it said.