AGPM Group

Oct 5, 2022

10/05/2022 | 12:43pm EDT Message : *Required fields PARIS, Oct 5 (Reuters) - This year's drought-affectedgrain maize crop in France will produce about 10 million tonnes,growers group AGPM said on Wednesday, joining other observers inpredicting the worst harvest in decades. The crop forecast was based on an estimated yield of 7.9tonnes per hectare (t/ha), down from a 5-year average of 9.7t/ha, and a harvested area of 1.27 million hectares, the AGPMsaid. This year's yield would be the lowest since 2003 andproduction the smallest in over 30 years, it said in a harvestupdate. Last month, the farm ministry had forecast French grainmaize production at 11.33 million tonnes, which it said was thelowest level since 1990. Maize is among crops to have suffered most from France'sworst drought on record, which was accompanied by severalheatwaves. The drought hurt particularly non-irrigated maize, forwhich the average yield was expected at around 6.6 t/ha comparedwith 10 t/ha anticipated for irrigated crops, the AGPM said. About a third of French grain maize crops is irrigated,it added. The harvest is taking place earlier than usual after thehot summer accelerated plant growth and the AGPM said farmerswill have cut about two-thirds of the crop by the end of thisweek. Low moisture in the crop will reduce post-harvest dryingcosts, one positive factor for growers faced with modest yieldsand a rise in production costs of about 20% this year, the AGPMsaid. Rising fertiliser prices have contributed to higherproduction costs and farmers in some countries have switchedfrom maize to crops like sunflower seed that are less intensivein nutrients. But AGPM President Daniel Peyraube told reporters it wastoo early to anticipate what the fertiliser market would be likenext spring when maize is planted, and that there was limitedscope for switching as maize is often tied to local industrieslike livestock feed. (Reporting by Gus Trompiz, additional reporting by Sybille deLa Hamaide, editing by David Evans and Marguerita Choy)