Agritel sees French 2017 soft wheat crop at 36.64mn T

PARIS: France will harvest 36.64 million tonnes of soft wheat this year, up 33 percent from a poor harvest in 2016 and in line with the 2008-2015 average, consultancy Agritel said on Friday.

In its first estimate for the upcoming harvest, Agritel said it expected an average yield of 7.12 tonnes per hectare.

This would be 3.6 percent below average but be compensated for by a rise in area.

Agritel said the quality of France's soft wheat crop was expected to be "generally exceptional", with a protein level likely above 12 percent, due to dry and hot weather at the end of the growth cycle.