Adds durum estimate, ministry comment on rapeseed, background
PARIS, Dec 7 (Reuters) – France’s farm ministry on Tuesday estimated the country’s winter soft wheat area for the 2022 harvest at 4.92 million hectares, down from 4.96 million hectares the previous year.
In its first sowing estimates for next year’s harvest, the ministry pegged the winter barley area at 1.23 million hectares, up from 1.20 million hectares the prior year, and projected the winter rapeseed area would rise to 1.10 million hectares from 0.98 million hectares.
For winter durum wheat, farmers were expected to sow about 279,000 hectares, down from 284,000 hectares the previous year.
Wheat and rapeseed in France are almost exclusively winter crops, while barley production comprises a significant share of spring crop.
Traders and analysts have anticipated a sharp rise in France’s rapeseed area, as record prices encourage a rebound in sowing following a decline in recent years.
However, the ministry said its rapeseed area projection for 2022 remained well below an average of 1.2 million hectares for the 2017-2021 period.
Analysts have also expected the recovery in rapeseed to curb cereal planting, although attractive prices and favourable autumn weather were seen limiting any decline in wheat and barley.
Maize is seen as more likely to lose area during spring planting, partly as farmers turn to less fertiliser-intensive crops amid soaring prices of the nutrient.
(Reporting by Gus Trompiz and Sybille de La Hamaide; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Edmund Blair)
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