French farmers consider shifting some corn plantings to sunflower amid rising fertilizer costs

French farmers are planning to replace part of their corn crops with sunflower due to soaring prices for fertilizers, fuel, and energy. Benoit Pietrement, Director General of the French grain lobby Intercereales, said the shift is driven by economic uncertainty linked to the conflict in Iran and high costs of growing maize.

Pietrement noted that corn requires significantly more fertilizers and energy compared to sunflower, making sunflower a more attractive option for farmers, particularly in southern regions. In northern France, fields were relatively well supplied with fertilizers, but in the south coverage was lower, prompting the move toward sunflower.

The full scale of the shift will become clearer in the coming weeks as traditional corn sowing begins in April. Early indications suggest that a significant area could be affected, repeating trends seen in 2022 when high fertilizer and gas prices also encouraged farmers to expand sunflower acreage at the expense of maize.

This year is expected to be exceptionally challenging economically, with low grain prices contrasting sharply with 2022, when fears of reduced Ukrainian exports caused prices to surge. Some farmers may even reduce overall planted areas, leaving land fallow while still receiving EU farm subsidies.

“Even I have doubts about the 2027 harvest—whether to resume crop rotation and grow cereals again or increase fallow land,” Pietrement said. He also serves as chairman of a cooperative union. The situation highlights how high input costs and global geopolitical risks are influencing farm decisions across the EU.

Tags: corn, France, sunseed, fertilizers, sown area