France’s Wheat Woes Signal Crisis for European Agriculture

France is facing a potential crisis this year with wheat yields expected to drop to a low not seen since the 1980s at just 26 million metric tons. The French Agricultural Producers Group (AGPB) reported that relentless rains last autumn disrupted planting and hindered crop growth, leading to a poor harvest outlook.

Initially predicted at 29.7 million tons by the Agriculture Ministry, estimates have since been revised downwards by traders and analysts. This decline from the usual 36 million tons harvest paints a bleak picture for the agricultural sector.

The AGPB has called for emergency government aid for grain farms as the plummeting harvest, combined with decreasing market prices, could lead to a loss of €1.6 billion in farmers’ incomes. Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau has promised financial support post-harvest, acknowledging the impact on farmers across the nation.

With continued rain causing delays in fieldwork and poor yields reported in northern crop belts, market analysts fear that this year’s output could fall between 25 and 26 million tons, signaling a wider European agricultural crisis.

This decline underscores the vulnerability of global food supplies to climate changes and points to the urgent need for adaptive agricultural strategies and robust support systems.