June 12, 2012

 

French winter barley, rapeseed crops to see 10% drop

 

 

Frost damage is expected to reduce France's winter rapeseed and barley crops by almost 10% this year, the farm ministry said on Monday (June 11) in its first production forecasts for the 2012 harvest.

 

Unusually severe frosts in late January and early February destroyed or weakened crops in parts of Europe, including widespread damage in France's northeast.

 

The farm ministry estimated that the winter rapeseed crop would fall to 4.8 million tonnes, down 9.7 % on 2011.

 

This mainly reflected a drop in the average yield to 3.15 tonnes a hectare from 3.45 tonnes last year, with the area little changed at 1.54 million hectares as field losses in the northeast were offset by a rise in sowings in the northwest.

 

"In regions affected by frost, yields will be mixed for fields that were not re-sown," the ministry said in a note.

 

The forecast rapeseed yield is still 2.2% above the five-year average.

 

For winter barley, the ministry forecast production of 5.7 million tonnes, down 9.9 % on 2011.

 

This was due to a 14.6% decline in area to 901,000 hectares, outweighing an expected rise in yield to 6.31 tonnes a hectare from 5.98 tonnes in last year's drought-affected crop.

 

"The winter barley area should fall sharply, with many fields being dug up after frost damage and re-sown with other crops," the ministry said.

 

Weather in April and May was more favourable for crops and notably improved the yield potential for barley in the northeast that was left standing after the winter frost, it added.

 

Re-sowing of frost-affected areas has boosted sowings of spring barley. The ministry revised up its estimate of this year's area to a record 885,000 hectares, an 81% jump versus last year and up from the 866,000 hectares seen last month, which was already a record.

 

This would lead to a 15.6% rise in the total barley area to 1.79 million hectares.

 

Among other spring crops, the grain maize area in France was put at 1.62 million hectares, up slightly from 1.60 million estimated a month ago and 5% above last year's level.