May 18, 2022

Rains provide respite to French grains but not enough

Christiane Lambert, president of FNSEA, France's main agricultural organisation, said recent rainfall in key growing regions in France provided some respite, but not enough for grains suffering from a lengthy drought, Reuters reported.

Dry weather in France, the EU's largest grain producer, has heightened market concerns about global supply disruptions caused by the conflict in Ukraine, a key grain exporter. India banned wheat exports due to a heat wave.

Lambert said the bone-dry soil prevented the crop from absorbing much of the rain, adding that the issue is compounded by the fact that water reserves are poor, with a 25% shortage.

She said for wheat, the grains must fatten immediately, needing constant water.

French Geological Survey BRGM said groundwater levels in France have deteriorated fast since February owing to a lack of water, with some areas of the nation reaching alarming levels, mostly in western and southeastern France.

As the dry weather continued, crop conditions for French wheat and barley harvests deteriorated, according to recent statistics.

Lambert said that a drop in French wheat production would occur at a time when the global grain outlook is bleak.

Due to dryness, wheat conditions in the United States are among the worst in recent years.

Lambert also mentioned seeding issues in Ukraine, one of the world's major grain exporters, as well as the country's predicted output decline.

-      Reuters