THE prix of soft wheat on the French physical market lost ground between December 16 and 20, like Euronext and CBOT. Harvest prospects in Australia and in Argentine look good, estimated at 30 Mt and 20 Mt respectively at present. On the side of the RussiaHowever, the poor conditions for planting crops worry operators. As a reminder, in France, sowing of soft winter wheat increased during the week ending December 2, going from 93% to 96% (compared to 87% in 2023 at the same time), according to Céré'Obs. Cultivation conditions have deteriorated, losing one point to 86% (compared to 77% in 2023 at the same time).
Status quo in durum wheat
The prices of durum wheat on the French physical market did not change between December 16 and 20. The national sole declines between 2023 and 2024, going from 210,000 ha to 206,000 ha according to Agreste, corresponding to the forecasts of a good number of private analysts. As a reminder, in France, sowing of durum wheat began during week 48 ending December 2, increasing from 63% to 78% (compared to 51% in 2023 at the same time), according to Céré'Obs.
Regressing quotations for milling barley
The prices offeed barley on the French physical market fell between December 16 and 120. Business is focused on the domestic market rather than the port. Agreste estimates a slight decline in barley areas, at 1.228 Mha this year (2025 harvest), compared to 1.238 Mha (2024 harvest) last year. As a reminder, in France, winter barley sowings increased during the week ending December 2, going from 98% to 99% (compared to 94% in 2023 at the same time), according to Céré'Obs. Cultivation conditions deteriorate by one point to 83% (compared to 81% in 2023 at the same time.
Corn price decline
The prices of but on the French physical market fell between December 16 and 20, in the wake of Euronext. Corn prices on the CBOT, however, tended to strengthen over the period. At the national level, Agreste has increased its estimate of 2024 production, going from 14.6 to 14.9 Mt (including areas dedicated to seed production) between the months of November and December, a level in compliance with the market expectations. As a reminder, according to Céré'Obs, corn growing conditions remain stable during the week ending December 2 at 75% (compared to 82% in 2023 at the same time). Harvests increase from 89% to 94% (compared to 99% in 2023).
