Benjamin Peter 07:20, July 14, 2022

A few days before the end of the harvest in France, the year 2022 promises to be catastrophic due to bad weather conditions.

Indeed, producers estimate that they miss between 25 and 60% of wheat production.

This is a real disaster for farmers.

Europe 1 went to Longages to see the damage.

The harvest season is coming to an end and the results are not good.

Between 25 and 60% of wheat production is missing.

A disaster for many farmers who hoped to rebuild cash after several difficult years and who see the costs increase.

Luc Mesbah has just finished harvesting his 100 hectares of wheat near Longages.

With 40 quintals per hectare, the yield is poor.

The drought and the early heat wave last month caused him to lose 30 to 40% of his production.

"We have less quantity per hectare and on top of that, we have grains that are very small, very puny," he explains.

The consequences of the June heat wave

“We have specific weights which should reach 800 kilos per cubic meter and today they are barely 700. In the grain, there is less starch and nutritional values. June, there was no more water in the plant, it was the moment when the grain was forming, it firmed up and it weighs much less", he adds.

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- Drought: wheat producers fear for their crops

"It's as if you had to give money to work"

For Jean-François Lamassé of the FDSEA, he will run out of cash and given the fuel and fertilizer loads that are exploding, some will wonder if it is worth continuing to grow wheat.

"Are we going to resow or not? Because fertilizer, in June and July of last year, it was worth 330 euros per ton, today we are at more than 900 euros", launches he asks at the microphone of Europe 1. "Is it worth producing? Because if we take over a year at 40 quintals per hectare, at the price of fertilizers, we all eat the frog. C It's like you have to give money to work," he said angrily.

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Especially since the situation could worsen.

The sunflowers, which have benefited from a few storms, are doing well, but with the forecast of ten days of heat without a drop, they also fear big losses.