World Grain - December 2020 - 22

COUNTRY FOCUS

put at 1.09 million tonnes, compared with the previous year's
1.571 million. It sees exports of barley at 7.09 million tonnes,
against 9.216 million the year before. Exports of maize are
put at 4.53 million tonnes, compared with 4.319 million the
previous year.
FranceAgriMer expects rapeseed imports to total 1.86 million tonnes in 2020-21, compared with 1.6 million the year
before, while exports of the crop are put at 1.102 million
tonnes, with the previous year at 1.108 million.
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duction at 1.74 million tonnes, up from 1.299 million the year
before, with imports at 150,000 tonnes, down from 35,000
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forecast at 400,000 tonnes, down from 440,000.
France also produces soy with this year's crop forecast at
490,000 tonnes, up from 430,000. Imports are expected to rise
to 617,000 tonnes from the previous year's 585,000, while
France's soy exports are seen at 173,000 tonnes, compared
with 135,000 in 2019-20.
In an Aug. 5 report, the USDA attaché commented that " the
mood is gloomy among wheat producers. The soft wheat crop
is estimated to be the third smallest in history. "
The report names several factors behind the sharp decrease
in production.
" Heavy rain in fall 2019 prevented sowing winter wheat
in the best conditions and reducing planted areas by 700,000
hectares, " the USDA said. " A mild winter led to pest infestations, particularly aphids that impacted health of the crop
and its development. The winter was followed by a dry spring
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ing its size and weight. On the other hand, the quality of the
harvested wheat is estimated to be good, with a higher-thanaverage protein content. "
The same problems were behind reduced barley production,
but the attaché explained that the maize crop was in much
better condition " because the southwest of France is less imSDFWHGE\WKHGURXJKWDQGDVLJQL¿FDQWSDUWRIWKHFRUQFURS
is irrigated. "
As a member state of the European Union, farm policy in
France is under the framework of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy. Reform is currently being discussed with the
aim to introduce a greater element of climate and environmental action, with more autonomy for individual countries to
achieve the desired results under a system of national strategic
plans. At the same time, the European Green Deal, with its
Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies, introduced by the
22

Commission under its German President Ursula von der Leyen, plans sharp cuts in the use of agrichemicals, along with an
increase in the proportion of land farmed organically.
FLOUR MILLING
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ciation Nationale de la Meunerie Française (ANMF), there are
around 394 production units in the industry, which use some
5 million tonnes of wheat each year, 15% of the crop. In 2018
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280,957 were for export. The industry's turnover is roughly
€1.8 billion ($2.13 billion) a year.
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Europe, behind Germany, and the 10th largest in the world.
ANMF said that although the market is mature, the sector is
continually evolving to respond to demand.
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France is traditionally an
important player on the world's
grains market, supplying a
range of markets, particularly in
the nearby countries of North
Africa, with which it has a close
trading relationship.
some traditional importers built mills and became wheat importers. The French industry is now concentrated on supplying the domestic market.
The association moved, as a second lockdown began in
France at the start of November, to reassure customers of supply, to avoid the hoarding and apparent panic buying reported,
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wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement issued on
Nov. 3, ANMF President Jean-Francois Loiseau said the situaWLRQZDVGL൵HUHQWWKLVWLPHZLWK(XURSH¶VLQWHUQDOERUGHUVUH
maining open and freight circulating freely. Consumers would
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hotel, restaurant and catering outlets would likely mean an
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December 2020 / World Grain / www.World-Grain.com

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World Grain - December 2020

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