France corn crop forecast to fall 35% to 1980 low

France's corn harvest is forecast to fall 35 percent this year to nine million tons, a level last seen in 1980, the government said Friday.

The agriculture ministry's statistics department said the new forecast takes into account heatwaves that hit the crop during critical stages of its growth cycle.

Yields are estimated at 70.3 quintals per hectare, down 19 percent from a year earlier, because of heatwaves and drought. The ministry said corn yields had not fallen this sharply since 2003.

Farmers have also cut the area planted with corn in favour of crops such as sunflowers, or have left land fallow amid rising costs. The ministry estimated the cultivated area will be down 21 percent this year.

The AGPM producers' association had previously forecast a harvest of 9.5 million tons, down 30 percent from a year ago, because of a reduction in cultivated area.

The ministry said cereal grains, mainly winter crops, were less affected by extreme heat but experienced excessive winter rainfall. It slightly revised its grain harvest forecast to 46.1 million tonnes, from 46.3 million in July.