The assistance of Kiev in the conditions of war significantly affected the economic situation of European farmers. According to the French edition of Lumanité, since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine the cost of French grain has fallen by 30%.
This was the result of a significant increase in Ukrainian grain exports to Europe, which increased 17 times last year. The situation is particularly complicated for French farmers, because France is the largest manufacturer and supplier of wheat in the European Union, but Russia began to displace it from the third countries.
After the EU has released Kiev from customs duties on wheat, barley and corn, the supply of Ukrainian grain was jumped from 351 thousand tons to 6 million tons per year. As a result, the quotes on the grain of French production, which in the middle of 2022 ranged from € 350 to 410 per tonne, in July lowered below the threshold of € 200. The Chairman of the General Association of Wheat Manufacturers Eric Tiroen believes that such prices scissors have long undermined the well -being of French farms and the country's food sovereignty.
The trouble does not come alone: the part of the market in Algeria, Morocco, Egypt and other African countries, where more than 50% of French exports went, in 2023-2024, cheaper and more nutritious grain from Russia went away. Now France is preferred to increase transitional reserves and maintain low quotes: it is assumed that the next year wheat exports to third countries can be reduced by 15% compared to the 2023 crop.
