The harvest of many cultures has been damaged, and agricultural production is expected to decrease by 8% this year, ministry officials said during a parliamentary session in Paris.
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France is one of the largest grain producers and exporters in Europe. Farmers in various countries across the continent have been severely affected by recurring extreme heat waves that scorched fields and droughts that lowered river water levels.
According to officials, this year France’s corn harvest is expected to decrease particularly sharply – by as much as 35% – and the total expected forage crop yield as of August 10 was one-third less than usual.
The heat also affected other sectors, but, as stated in a ministry document provided to journalists, “the impact at the macroeconomic level should be more limited.”
French Environment Minister Monique Barbut said in mid-August that the direct and indirect impact of heat waves on the country will cost 10–15 billion euros.
The French government earlier this year forecast that the gross domestic product (GDP) would grow by 0.7% in 2026, but economists have warned that this target is unlikely to be met, as the economy shrank by 0.2% in the first quarter of this year and growth was zero in the second quarter.
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