As of November 25, 2024, France’s agricultural sector shows mixed results in its latest crop progress report from FranceAgriMer. While corn harvesting and durum wheat sowing lag behind historical benchmarks, soft wheat and winter barley are experiencing faster-than-average development. These trends highlight the dynamic nature of France’s agriculture, shaped by evolving weather conditions and market demands.
Corn Harvest: Slower Than Expected
France’s corn harvest has reached 89% completion, a 7-percentage-point increase from the previous week. However, this figure remains below the 99% completion rate of 2023 and the five-year average of 98%.
Crop conditions for corn, rated good to very good, fell slightly to 75%, compared to 76% last week and 82% in 2023. These declines in crop quality reflect the challenges faced during the growing season, including weather-related disruptions that hindered optimal yield outcomes.
Soft Wheat: Ahead of Schedule
Sowing for soft wheat aimed at the 2025 harvest has progressed to 93% of the planned area, a notable improvement from 90% last week. This is well ahead of the 81% completion rate in 2023 and slightly surpasses the five-year average of 91%.
The emergence stage of soft wheat has improved significantly, climbing to 77% from 65%, though it remains below the five-year average of 82%. Early tillering has reached 20%, surpassing last year’s 16% but slightly trailing the five-year average of 22%. Crop conditions for soft wheat decreased marginally to 87%, down from 88% the previous week but substantially higher than the 80% recorded in 2023.
Winter Barley: Matching Historical Trends
The winter barley sowing campaign has nearly concluded, with 98% of the planned area sown, up from 96% last week. This aligns with the five-year average and exceeds the 90% completion rate in 2023.
Emergence has increased to 88%, closing in on the five-year average of 91%, while early tillering has progressed to 34%, compared to 28% last year and near the historical average of 36%. Crop conditions for winter barley remain steady at 84%, reflecting stability in production quality.
Durum Wheat: Catching Up but Lagging Behind
Durum wheat planting is advancing, reaching 63% of the planned area, up from 52% last week. While this figure surpasses the 40% completion rate in 2023, it remains behind the five-year average of 66%.
Emergence has improved to 25%, up from 14%, but still lags the five-year average of 42%. Early tillering has begun at 2%, slightly ahead of both 2023 and the historical average of 1%.
France’s crop progress for late November 2024 paints a mixed picture. While the corn harvest continues to lag behind historical norms, soft wheat and winter barley are advancing at impressive rates, offering optimism for their contributions to the 2025 harvest. Durum wheat remains a concern, with progress below expectations but showing signs of recovery. For farmers and agricultural professionals, these trends underscore the importance of adaptive strategies to manage weather variability and market pressures.
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