The operator of the port said that the poor French harvest was the reason for the 40% drop in 2024/25 cereal shipments.

Haropa Port, the port operator, said that 5.2 million tons of cereals were loaded in Rouen during 2024/25 compared to 8.7 millions tons in 2023/24. The majority of these shipments went to Morocco and Portugal. France's largest grain producer has seen its exports hit by the smallest harvest of wheat since the 1980s. This is due to heavy rainfall, competition from the Black Sea area, and a diplomatic split with Algeria. FranceAgriMer, the farm office, expects that wheat exports will have fallen to their lowest level in this century.

Haropa reported that a drop in the demand from China also affected Rouen's exports in 2024/25. Only 0.38 million tonnes of cereal were shipped, compared to 2.5 million tons in 2023/24.

Haropa noted that a rebound in activity during the second half helped Rouen to limit its volume decline after a slow start.

Rouen's share in total French maritime grain exports increased to 54% by 2024/25, the report said.

Haropa said that the prospect of a larger harvest in this summer will help French shipments to recover by 2025/26.

The traders are cautious due to the fact that the competition will remain fierce as large crops are harvested across the Northern Hemisphere. Meanwhile, France is excluded from the massive Algerian import market because of the diplomatic dispute.

(source: Reuters)