French wheat crop rating improves, spring barley slips

Ratings for French soft wheat improved slightly in the week to June 9, while spring barley conditions declined for a fourth consecutive week just as France is entering a dry spell set to last until the end of the month.

The share of soft wheat rated good or excellent rose to 70%, up from 69% a week earlier, after recording declines in the past month as a dry spring has left northern regions parched, data from farm office FranceAgriMer showed on Friday.

The soft wheat rating remains above the 62% recorded at the same stage in 2024. Soft wheat is the most cultivated cereal in France. Spring barley ratings fell to 71% from 73%, below the year-earlier level of 75%, FranceAgriMer said.

Winter barley improved by one point to 65%, matching its 2024 score. The condition of durum wheat held steady at 73%, up from 63% a year ago, while grain maize remained unchanged at 85%, above the 2024 level of 80%. Maize sowing was complete.

Tags: crop condition, barley, France, wheat