Due to extreme heat, France – the largest agricultural producer in the European Union – has lost 30 percent of its corn crop, a cereal used in the production of flours, cooking oils, syrups, and alcoholic beverages, as well as livestock feed.
According to Expana’s analyses, irrigated cornfields in France are less than one third: consequently, this year’s harvest – which generally takes place in autumn – could be the smallest since 1990.
NOT ONLY CORN: THE IMPACT OF HEAT ON FRENCH AGRICULTURE
Not only that: estimates from the French Ministry of Agriculture say that, besides corn, the heatwave – which meanwhile seems to have passed, except in some northeastern regions of the country – has damaged about half of the carrot production, 60 percent of the hop production, and many orchards.
From Paris, it is reported that cultivated fields are under severe water stress and that the grape harvest, due to the rapid ripening of the fruits, could start almost three weeks early. The risk of fires is also high: in southern France, about 1,200 hectares of land have burned in just the past few days.
THE RISE IN FERTILIZER PRICES
The heat has worsened an already complicated situation for farmers, due to supply difficulties and rising prices of fertilizers: the war with Iran is involved, which has stopped navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and hindered the marketing of ammonia, urea, and sulfur produced in the Persian Gulf region. Despite the preliminary agreement between the United States and Iran, the situation has not yet returned to normal and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz has not been fully restored.
In April – when corn is sown – in France there were fears that fertilizer price hikes could cause a reduction of up to 15 percent in the hectares cultivated with this cereal.
THE DAMAGE TO POULTRY FARMERS
The French Ministry of Agriculture also reported that the heat has killed nearly 6,500 tons of poultry, particularly in the western regions of Brittany, Normandy, and the Loire, where extreme temperatures are unusual. Since birds do not sweat, the only way they can regulate their body temperature is through respiration.
