French wheat crop conditions steady, maize sowing nears end

PARIS: Crop condition ratings for French soft wheat were steady last week while farmers neared the end of maize planting, data from farm office FranceAgriMer showed on Friday, as a sunny spell brought some relief to grain belts after a damp spring.

Some 62% of soft wheat was estimated to be in good or excellent condition by June 10, unchanged from a week earlier but down from 85% a year earlier, FranceAgriMer said in a cereal report.

The pace remained the lowest for the time of year since 2020, when French wheat crops were also affected by heavy rain, the report showed. France saw warm, sunny weather last week, though rain has returned this week.

For winter barley, usually the first major cereal to be harvested in summer, the good/excellent rating gained two points last week to 65%, but remained well below a year-earlier score of 85%.