French Wheat Farmers Battle Worst Harvest in Decades Amidst Torrential Rain

Jean Lefevre and other French farmers suffered through a disastrous wheat harvest due to relentless rain since last October. France, the EU's top grain producer, saw its worst wheat yield since the 1980s. Farmers face low prices, high costs, and frustration as they navigate an economic and environmental crisis.

Jean Lefevre, like many French farmers, has endured one of the worst wheat harvests in decades. Rainfall has been unceasing since he began sowing his grain last October, continuing until the harvest last month.

France, the European Union's largest grain producer, has faced particularly wet weather over the past year, including continuous rain in October and November, the wettest spring on record, and violent storms. This poor weather has severely delayed sowings and hampered crop development. According to the farm ministry, France is expected to harvest its worst wheat crop since the 1980s, down by 25% from last year. Other cereals like winter barley have also been badly affected.

Rising production costs exacerbated by the pandemic and low crop volumes have compounded the issue. Farmers, already dealing with low prices due to a global grain glut, see no relief in sight. Local prices, pressured by significant crops from major producers, have remained low. Laurent Pollet, another farmer from the Oise region, summed up the crisis as a triple whammy: catastrophic crops, low prices, and high costs.

(With inputs from agencies.)