September 6, 2011

French corn crop to hit record average yield

France's corn crop is expected to reach a record average yield of about 10 tonnes per hectare, according to the technical institute Arvalis on Monday (Sep 5).

High expected yields reflected early sowing and regular rain during the second half of the growing season, Jean-Paul Renoux, Arvalis' head of corn, told Reuters.

"It is a very good year, a record year," Renoux said. "We are still getting rain which is allowing a good finish to the crops' development."

With an area estimated between 1.45 million and 1.5 million hectares, this would produce a crop of 14.5-15 million tonnes, he said.

This would be above last year's corn grain crop of 13.8 million tonnes but below bumper crops seen in 2008 and 2009.

Traders and analysts have been expecting high corn yields in France this year after favourable growing conditions for the crop, which unlike other grains, was little affected by a spring drought and also benefitted from summer rain.

In a first estimate last month, the farm ministry put this year's corn grain crop at 13.3 million tonnes, with the average yield put at 8.94 tonnes, down from nine tonnes in 2011.

Corn harvesting could get underway in France next week in areas with most advanced crops, with growers also encouraged to start field work by attractive market prices, Renoux said.