The arrival of cold weather in France in the coming days to bring the advantages of the grain harvest and to ease concerns about the abnormally mild conditions this winter in the main grain producer in the European Union, according to FranceAgriMer.

Agricultural experts and grain traders were concerned that a warm December in much of the Northern hemisphere has led to too much development growth cycle of plants and made them vulnerable to subsequent sudden cooling.

Improving the prospect for crops.

The temperature is falling and snow is expected, management said FranceAgriMer.

In France there was a record mild weather in December and the relatively mild weather conditions persisted in early January.

The temperature, however, will fall on Thursday across the country, bringing the first frosts and snowfall on the plains of North-East France, according to weather service Meteo France.

Cold weather grain helps build resilience and prevents too rapid growth of plants, while the snow protects them from severe frosts.

During the next weeks forecasted cold period, and if the temperature drops to minus four or five degrees, it will be the ideal management said FranceAgriMer.

FranceAgriMer has determined that 98% of soft wheat, widespread grain crop is in good to excellent condition from the end of November. Service will resume its weekly estimates of harvest in February.

FranceAgriMer and the Ministry of agriculture suggest that sowing of wheat has risen this season to a new 80-year high, reaching 5.2 million hectares.

This week FranceAgriMer raised its forecast of soft wheat stocks in France.

Source: Thomson Reuters