Soft wheat production in France will hit 37.87 million tonnes, based on the first estimate by the French farm ministry.

The increase had been attributed to a spike in sowings, pegged at 5.16 million hectares which is France's largest cultivation in at least the last two decades. The volume rose by 150,000 hectares year-on-year. 

In addition, rising output had been observed in Burgundy (up 11% year-on-year) and Lorraine (up 28% year-on-year).

Although the production volume falls short of expectations from some analysis groups, it represents the country's second biggest in history and an upward trend of close to 400,000 tonnes year-on-year.

Industry group, Coceral, and broker INTL FCStone had forecasted 38.29 million tonnes and 37.95 million tonnes, respectively. Figures by the farm ministry put soft wheat yield at 7.34 tonnes/hectare, a slight drop from 7.48 tonnes seen in 2014. 

Despite the potential for a record output this year, the farm ministry is less optimistic about yields of soft wheat due to a lack of rain and hot weather in France. On the contrary, since local soft wheat are winter-sown and well-advanced into the season, dry conditions are not much an impediment to crop development, commentators said. 

France's highest volume of soft wheat output was recorded at 38.25 million tonnes in 1998-99.