France’s wheat crop could fall 13% due to weather

Wheat crop of France, world’s leading grains producer, is set to dip by 13 percent this season due to unfavourable climatic conditions, which would lead to less sales and weak revenue.

Pascal Hurblaut, a member of France’s General Association of Wheat Producers (AGPB) told Xinhua General News Service that France is likely to harvest 31 million tonnes of wheat for 2010-2011 season compared to 35.7 million tonnes in the previous season.

“We estimate a below-average crop because of dry weather during March-May period when wheat needed a sufficient rainfall to have more grains,” Hurblaut said.

“We live in a country of a temperate climate where this activity (grains production) depends on the nature and climate. Normally, We harvest an average of 7 tonnes of wheat per hectare but this season it will be below that figure, ” he added.

France’s sowing areas suffered from a below-average rainfall and summer-like temperatures in April when rains reached just 29 percent of its average in recent years, according to French weather forecaster Meteo France.