French arable crop office ONIGC said on Wednesday it expected European Union wheat exports outside the bloc to fall to 8.5-9.5 million tonnes this season from 10.7 million in 2006/07 despite an expected rise in output.
ONIGC Director General Bruno Hot said the fall in exports was mainly due to lower stocks at the start of the (July-June) season at 14.1 million tonnes, down from 20.9 million previously.
"In light of the lower internal availabilities the European Union's soft wheat exports are expected to remain below those seen in 2006/2007," Hot told reporters, adding that the fall would be limited by strong demand from traditional clients. Of this total, France would export 6.2 million tonnes, including food aid, against 5.6 million tonnes last season, ONIGC said.
In its first estimates for the 2007/08 EU grain crop, ONIGC put the 27-member bloc's soft wheat output at 120.1 million tonnes, up 2 percent from last year. In France the 2007 wheat harvest was expected at 35 million tonnes, up 5 percent from last year but ONIGC said the final volume would depend on weather conditions.