Seed Corn Production in 2022: Numbers and Situation

At 84500 hectares, France’s corn seed production programme for 2022/23 remains relatively stable compared to 2021 and confirms France as a leading European corn seed producer. The number of grown varieties is also relatively stable, standing at 2439 (versus 2450 in 2021), including sterile forms. On the other hand, the number of farmers involved in seed corn production is down 5 percent in 2022, the latest census showing 3229.

As to the EU seed corn production envisaged for the next production year, the trend is slightly downward – down 7 percent, to 174 000 hectares. A breakdown by country shows a 14-percent drop in Romania and 16-drop in Hungary. The areas are also down in Austria and Slovakia, but stable in Poland and Germany, and up slightly in Italy. Outside of the EU, the decline that is estimated for Ukraine should not go below –24 percent, indicating the resilience of local production network, despite the conflict with Russia.

Overall crop development is satisfactory throughout the EU, as corn enters flowering and the ensuing critical detasseling period. Temperature sums accumulated rapidly during the crop’s early growth stages and flowering started about ten days earlier. However, since weather was dry in those stages in most production regions, there is an increased need for irrigations. Locally hail-stricken crops are also signalled in France.