News
13.10.2009
France cuts wheat crop estimate
France's farm ministry slashed on Monday its estimate for the 2009 soft wheat crop by one million tonnes to 36.30 million tonnes, as it cut its projection of the area sown, an unusual move for this time of year. The Ministry cut the area sown for wheat by a hefty 126,000 hectares on the previous month, but the ministry did not give any explanation for this.
The downward revision was due to a delay of transmission of information submitted by farmers as part of the annual declarations for subsidies under the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), a source close to the matter said. The 2009 wheat crop is now 1.5 percent down on the previous marketing season due to a cut of 320,000 hectares compared to 2008 but the ministry did not give any explanation for the drop.
The cut in wheat area pushed up sown areas for spring crops, such as rapeseed and sunflower. It raised, among others, its estimate for rapeseed production to a new record of 5.62 million tonnes, up from 5.49 million a month ago, as it raised the sown area to 1.48 million hectares against 1.46 million hectares last month.
The ministry upped its forecast for maize output (including seed and corn cob mix) to 15.02 million tonnes, compared with 14.97 million last month. For sugar beet, the ministry pegged the crop at 33.17 million tonnes versus 32.26 million tonnes last month.
Reuters
