After several difficult years, French grain farmers are expecting a very good harvest in 2019, but deplore the effects of the drought in Auvergne and are worried about world prices falling.
The harvest is "exceptional" with more than 38 million tonnes expected for soft wheat (used mainly for flour), 12% more than the previous year, "but there is a big worry because prices have unscrewed more than 10 euros in 15 days, "said Éric Thirouin, president of the AGPB Wheat Producers Association, Tuesday at a press conference.
Recent decline in cereal prices
On the basis of the projections of the AGPB, the average income of cereals could amount to 17,500 euros over 12 months, "is less than the minimum wage", and could fall further if prices continue to fall, warned Éric Thirouin . The years 2015-2016 were a turning point for cereal farmers, who until then were considered the best for French farmers: an alternation of droughts and floods led to poor harvests and therefore lower incomes. down, especially as parallel world prices were in free fall.
Things then improved a little on the markets. At the same time last year, cereal prices in Europe and the Black Sea basin were on the rise. But in recent days world cereal prices have once again tended to decline. On Euronext, European wheat prices were displayed for example Tuesday in the middle of the day at 166.25 euros per tonne on the maturity of September, against more than 174 on August 1.