France's farm ministry on Tuesday increased its estimate of the country's 2019 soft wheat harvest to 38.2 million tonnes from 37.0 million projected a month ago, adding to expectations that a bumper wheat crop was unscathed by record-breaking heatwaves.
The increased soft wheat production estimate would be up 12% compared with last year's volume, the ministry said in a crop report.
In its first forecast of this year's grain maize harvest, the ministry projected production at 13.1 million tonnes, up 4.9% from last year as a rise in planted area offset an expected drop in yields due to extreme heat and drought conditions.
The outlook for the maize harvest, which mostly takes place in autumn, was particularly uncertain due to the impact of the harsh summer weather, it said.
News by Reuters. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
