June 18, 2008

French 2008-09 winter barley output up 21 percent on-year 

French 2008-09 winter barley production will rise 21.3 percent on the year to 8.257 million tonnes, according to projections issued by France's Ministry for Agriculture and Fisheries Tuesday (June 18, 2008).

The Ministry's first crop forecast for the new season also put winter barley output at 18.8 percent above the previous five-year average.

The winter barley yield was forecast at 6.71 tonnes a hectare, up from 5.75 tonnes in 2007-08. At the same time winter barley area was projected at 1.230 million hectares, up from 1.183 million last year.

The ministry said total French grain acreage would be up 4 percent, or 372,000 hectares, at 9.4 million after the European Commission abolished the 10 percent set-aside land programme to encourage crop farming.

Traders said weather has also favoured French crops, especially compared to the adverse conditions that affected the 2007-08 crops.