Louise Sally, Editing by Soline Leroux with AFP
adjusted to
7:48 PM, May 09, 2022
Summer heat and insufficient recharged groundwater: Lack of rain across France threatens the growth of grain and especially wheat, the FNSEA, the majority agricultural union, alerted on Monday. “No area is immune to any. With each passing day, we see the land cracking. Even in the north, the grain is thirsty. Yesterday I was with a farmer in Puy du Dome, he was watering his wheat. If it continues like Christian Lambert, head of the organization Christian Lambert told the agency AFP that those who have access to irrigation will get this, while others will face a significant reduction in yields.”
“Since October and November, there have been massive droughts in Portugal and Spain, which have occurred in Occitanie, Provence and along the Rhone Valley. The unusual thing about this season is that drought is affecting the north of the Loire,” she explained.
“Episode of Heat is notable for its early impulses”
Météo-France evokes a “heat cycle” that is, without being unprecedented, “notable for its speed of progress, durability and geographical breadth”. The 30°C mark should be reached between New Aquitaine and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur at the beginning of the week. It will be less hot in the north of the country, but quite dry.
“Next week is July. We are very worried. It is a sensitive period for grains: the wheat has reached its adult size, the ear has developed, and we are now in the grain growth stage,” explains Joel Limouzin, FNSEA Emergencies Officer.
40% risk of crop loss
However, without water, the fertilizer that the plant needs to produce high-quality grain, it will not be able to raise the stem, it will “remain in the ground”. Joël Limouzin warns that the beans will wilt without water and under the influence of heat, with a risk of “a crop loss that can be up to 40% if the weather remains dry for several weeks”.
He thinks that the period is more complicated for wheat, than for more advanced barley in cultivation, particularly in the great grain plains of Bosse and Burgundy. “More than ever, we need to be able to store water,” pleads the FNSEA, which warns of the risks of an even greater rise in food costs if the harvest in France is poor.
