News Grains and raw material
Less grain and more oilseeds in France
The acreage of cereals and protein crops in France shows a significant contraction for the 2021/2022 growing year compared to the previous season. The potato and beet acreage has also shrunk. These crops have partly been exchanged for oilseeds. That reports Agreste, the statistics and market office of the French Ministry of Agriculture.
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Choose the subscription that suits youFrench farmers sowed 2021% less grain in the 2022/3 season compared to the previous season. Compared to the five-year average, the grain area has decreased by 1,8%. This brings the French grain area to 9,043 million hectares this season. In the last five years, only in 2020 - when the wet autumn made it difficult to sow winter grain - less grain was grown. The area of soft wheat (the largest arable crop in France) amounts to 4,759 million hectares. That is a shrinkage of 4,5% compared to last season and 1,2% below the five-year average.
The area of protein crops shows the largest decline in the Agreste data at 12,8%. With an area of 287.000 hectares, the area used for the cultivation of protein crops remains 1,5% above the five-year average. The area on which oilseeds are grown has increased by 16,9% compared to last year to 2,196 million hectares. The five-year average is 2,086 million hectares. Rapeseed and sunflowers in particular have gained popularity among French arable farmers. Partly due to high fertilizer prices, farmers have exchanged corn for sunflowers that require less fertilizer.
Less beets and potatoes
The downward trend in the area of beets continues this season. In France, beets are grown on 402.000 hectares, a decrease of 1,3% compared to last year and 11,4% compared to the five-year average. The area for consumption potatoes has decreased by 0,4% compared to last season to 151.000 hectares. The five-year average for ware potatoes is 149.000 hectares. Starch potatoes show a greater shrinkage, namely 4,8% compared to the previous season.
Agreste also provides an initial forecast for the yield of winter barley and winter rapeseed. The yield of winter barley is estimated at 8,248 million tons. That is 0,4% more than last year and is entirely due to an expansion of the area. The yield per hectare is estimated at 6,5 tons per hectare compared to 6,85 last season. For rapeseed, Agreste calculates a yield of 3,26 tons per hectare. Last year this was 3,35 tons per hectare. This brings the total rapeseed harvest to 3,867 million tons. That is an increase of 17,8% compared to last season, but still 5,1% below the five-year average.
