The consequences of the heatwave summer are becoming clear for French agriculture. The national cereal harvest is expected to decline by 11% in 2026, across all crops, according to the General Association of Wheat and Other Cereal Producers. Wheat, barley, oats, and rye have all suffered from drought and extreme temperatures.
Soft wheat, primarily used for bread flour, saw a 4% decrease, representing 1,5 million tons less than the previous year. The heatwave in May particularly affected farms in central France during the flowering period. In some fields, the ears of wheat produced very few grains.
Producers already weakened by excessively low prices
Concerns now focus on the upcoming planting season. Éric Thirouin, president of the association and a cereal farmer in Eure-et-Loir , fears that the persistent drought will compromise, in particular, the planting of winter barley. "Soil without water is dead soil," he warns, adding that some farmers may abandon planting altogether if conditions do not improve.
This drop in harvests comes as the sector reports losing money for the past four years. Producers are grappling with rising or unavailable production costs, while global prices often remain below production costs. The government has announced over one billion euros in emergency aid to support agriculture following heatwaves, fires, and drought, but industry organizations already consider this sum insufficient.
