France's maize harvest set to slump 35% to lowest in decades
France's grain maize crop is forecast to fall 35% to 9 million tonnes, the lowest since 1980, after heat and drought.
France's farm ministry has projected a sharp contraction in this year's grain maize harvest, with output expected to drop by 35% from 2025 to approximately 9 million metric tons. The forecast, released on Friday, would mark the smallest crop since at least 1980, reflecting the severe impact of heatwaves and prolonged drought conditions across key growing regions.
The ministry also adjusted its estimate for soft wheat, the country's primary cereal crop. Production for 2026 is now seen at 31.9 million tons, a slight downward revision from the previous forecast of 32 million tons issued last month. This would place soft wheat output about 4% below the level recorded in the previous year.
The figures underscore the strain that extreme weather has placed on French agriculture this season, particularly for maize, which is highly sensitive to water stress during its critical growth phases. The projected decline highlights broader concerns about crop resilience as climate patterns become more volatile.