During this monitoring period (May to July 2026), winter wheat in France was in its grain-filling and maturation stages. Winter wheat harvest began in July and will be fully completed by August. CropWatch monitoring results show that the planted area of winter wheat expanded slightly, from 5,636 thousand hectares in 2025 to 5,692 thousand hectares in 2026, a year-on-year increase of 1.0%.

Regarding yield, the yield per unit area of winter wheat in France in 2026 is estimated at 8,072 kg/ha, an increase of 4.63% from 7,715 kg/ha in 2025. The agroclimatic conditions from May to July were generally favorable for yield formation: TEMP was 2.8°C above the 15-year average (15YA), and RADPAR was 9% above average, providing ample thermal and light resources that benefited wheat grain filling and maturation. Although RAIN was 36% below average, which posed some constraints on soil moisture, the deep loamy soils prevalent in these areas meant that the rainfall deficit during this period had not yet fully translated into yield losses. Moreover, as winter wheat entered its maturation stage, its water demand decreased. As a result, the yield still achieved a moderate increase.

 The increase in both area and yield per unit area resulted in higher total production. Total winter wheat production in France in 2026 is expected to reach 45.95 million tonnes, up 5.67% from 43.48 million tonnes in the previous year, presenting a pattern of simultaneous increase in area, yield, and production (Figures 2.8 and 2.9).

 Overall, the production situation for winter wheat in France from May to July 2026 was relatively favorable. The planted area remained stable with a slight increase. Although the rainfall was below average with the PDSI and CWSI indices indicating drought conditions, above-average temperatures and sufficient sunshine promoted yield formation, and the reduced water demand during the maturation stage helped mitigate the negative impact, leading to moderate increases in both yield and total production.

Figure 2.11 Distribution of winter wheat in the main producing regions of France, 2026

Figure 2.12 Distribution of winter wheat yield in the main producing regions of France, 2026