Growers predict that the French maize crop could fall by 10 to 15% this year.

AGPM, a group of growers, said that rising costs for fertilisers and energy could cause a drop in the area planted with grain maize by 10% to 15%. The Iran War has caused a disruption in the supply of fuel, fertilizer and oil to farmers around the world. Some countries have expected a shift away from corn or maize as it is one of the most intensive crops in terms of fertilisers and energy.

In response to a query, AGPM and Arvalis estimated that the French sowings would decrease by about 20%, with steeper local declines in areas like the southwest.

It added that the expected drop in planting was also due to an increase in winter crops such as wheat, which left less space for spring crops. The French agriculture ministry estimated on Tuesday that spring barley was down by 16% compared to 'last year. Benoit Pietrement - who chairs the grain committee of FranceAgriMer - spoke to reporters earlier and reiterated that he expects maize will be replaced by sunflower seeds, which are less intensive to grow.

Pietrement is a farmer from northeast France who said that he would leave a small portion of his land fallow this year. He feared this trend could grow in 2027, if the financial pressures placed on farmers did not subside.

(source: Reuters)