French wheat crop rating unchanged last week

PARIS: Farm office FranceAgriMer estimated in a weekly report on Friday that 79pc of French soft wheat crops were in good or excellent condition by May 20, unchanged from a week earlier.

That was also the same score as estimated for soft wheat crops at the same stage last year.

FranceAgriMer rated 75pc of French winter barley as good/excellent, also unchanged from the previous week.

The equivalent spring barley rating fell to 88pc from 89pc last week, while the grain maize rating declined to 83pc from 85pc.

Spring sowing of grain maize was almost over, with an estimated 97pc of the expected area sown by May 20.