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France 2024 Wine Production Seen Dropping 22% on Bad Weather

A statue atop a hill in a vineyard in Ay-Champagne, France, on Friday, March 24, 2023. In France, winery consolidation and surging land prices mean when a family head dies some must choose between long-term debt or selling an estate that’s been passed down for generations. Photographer: Nathan Laine/Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- France’s wine production for 2024 is seen dropping 22% in 2024 due to bad weather across all growing areas.

Output in the world’s top wine producer is likely to be 37.5 million hectoliters this year, which is also 15% below the five-year average, according to an agriculture ministry report citing estimates to Oct.1.

“This decrease is due to the unfavorable weather conditions which impacted all wine-growing areas,” said the report. All types of wines are likely to see a drop in production, particularly those from Burgundy, Beaujolais and Champagne and wines intended for the production of brandy.

Wine production hit a 60-year low last year but a global glut has persisted, indicating that demand is falling faster. Chaotic climate change conditions are also hurting producers. France has been helping some growers permanently uproot vines.

Bad weather has also damaged other crops across France, the European Union’s biggest agricultural producer. Soft-wheat harvest is seen plunging to the lowest in 40 years. Last month marked the wettest September in 25 years, according to Météo-France. 

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.