France, the EU’s largest grain producer, is estimating its soft wheat harvest to approach 37m t, 3% higher than the five-year average and 33% up on last year. The average yield nationwide is coming in at 7.2t/ha (2.9t/ac) and protein rates are higher than usual at an average 12%. FranceAgriMer forecasts that “the 2017 harvest will meet the needs of various markets with very high specific weights in some areas”.

Durum wheat is all in, with production of 2m tonnes up 12% on the five-year average despite a smaller area sown thanks to yields of up to 6t/ha (2.4t/ac) in some areas. FranceAgriMer is reporting high quality, with protein rates often topping 14%, low skinning and high specific weights.

The French barley harvest is also above with five-year averages as winter crops performed well, while spring barley gave uneven yields. The country is on track to deliver 12.2m t of barley, nearly 1m t more than in recent years.

"Very good results" for rapeseed

In areas where the rapeseed harvest has started, yields are reported to be between 3.4t/ha and 4t/ha (1.4t/ac and 1.6t/ac), but northern parts are forecast to be well above these figures. FranceAgriMer hails “very good results explained by very favourable growing conditions in 2017” and expects total production to top 5.2m t, increasing on a smaller area. This would be 2.7% higher than the five-year average.

Strong performance in pea crops is also seen to boost French protein seed production by 25% to 1m t this year, despite disappointing yields in alfalfa fields.

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Strong start for phase two of harvest 2017

Full coverage: Harvest 2017