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Summary of our market study
The cereals market in France is estimated at18 billion euros.
France has over 7.4 million hectares of cereal-growing land, i.e. around 50% of arable land. The Grand Est and Hauts-de-France regions lead the way in production. The main crops are soft wheat, barley and corn. France is a major player on the cereals market.
The needs of the milling industry are stagnating, while those of industrial outlets such as pasta production are increasing. France is self-sufficient in organic wheat.
The pandemic had a notable impact on barley used for malting, with world trade slowing by around 5%, leading to increased use of malting barley for animal feed. Corn demand remained stable in the EU, boosted by its incorporation in animal feed, which offset the drop in ethanol demand affecting US producers.
France is one of the world's top five cereal exporters. While countries such as China and India are major cereal producers, they have a limited presence on world trade markets.
Almost half of French production is destined for international markets. Bakeries and the cookie industry are the main buyers of cereals. Wheat also plays an important role in animal feed consumption.
The industry contributes to the socio-cultural fabric thanks to the preference for bakery products and the importance of cereals in the traditional French diet.
In addition, the trend towards organic production has increased, and the organic cereals sector has grown considerably.
Players in the global cereals value chain
- Agricultural cooperatives play an essential role in the collection and distribution of cereals: European heavyweight Axereal exemplifies this category with its extensive network that ensures that farm-sourced grain is marketed and distributed efficiently.
- Feed producers: Nuwen Animal Nutrition and Euralis stand out as major entities, supplying essential nutrients to the livestock industry.
- Feed mills: The transformation of raw cereals into usable feed is the specialty of feed mills,
- Malting plants: France is a leader in the production of malting barley: Vivescia is a global player.
- The four world leaders in grain trading: Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Bunge, Cargill and Louis Dreyfus.
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of study
Cereals are all plants cultivated for their grains and used for human and animal consumption, as well as for industrial purposes. The world's main cereals are wheat, corn, rice, barley and oats.
The European Union plays an important role in the French agri-food industry and enjoys a positive balance of trade, thanks in particular to France, which remains the European Union's leading exporter and the world's 7ᵉ largest exporter. Global cereal production is dominated by corn, ahead of wheat and rice, which together account for 97% of world cereal production. Other cereals produced include barley, oats and sorghum.
Cereal growing in France will occupy 9 thousand hectares of cereal acreage in 2023, or around 53% of France's arable land, making French agriculture a major sector, with the North-West and South-West regions being the most dynamic in terms of production. [Agri-mutuel] A dozen cereal species are grown in France, including soft wheat, grain corn, barley and durum wheat. There are tens of thousands of agricultural productions in France, operating across the entire value chain: from collection to primary processing (milling, malting, etc.) and secondary processing (baking, biscuit-making, etc.).
In 2023, the total value of French cereal production rose by 5.8% in volume terms, a good recovery compared to 2021/2022, a year marked by difficult climatic conditions leading to poor harvests. On the other hand, the market has been impacted by the conflict in Ukraine, which has disrupted the European agricultural economy and caused cereal prices to fall by an average of 28.4% in 2023, after two years of very high commodity price rises. This drop in export prices has significantly reduced French exports.
In France, while 46% of cereals produced are exported, the remainder is used mainly forhuman and animal feed, either used directly on the farm by farmers for their livestock operations, or processed in factories. Bioethanol is an important part of French cereal production, as France is the leading bioethanol producer in the European Union.
The total area of organic farms has exploded in recent years, reaching 500 thousand hectares by 2023, despite the fact that the number of land conversions to organic farming is falling every year. This increase can be explained by European subsidies and changing consumption patterns.
1.2 The world cereals market
In ****-****, according to the FAO, an estimated *,*** million tonnes of cereals will be produced worldwide (***). The United States, the world's leading exporter, is losing market share every year.
Global cereal production has undergone a varied evolution in recent years. In ****-**, production stood at *,*** million tonnes, then rose to *,*** million ...
1.3 The French cereals market
Agricultural acreage
In France, * thousand hectares will be under cereal cultivation in ****, i.e. around **% of France's arable land, a figure that has risen in recent years. As shown in the graph below, the majority of cereal acreage is used to grow soft wheat. This makes it France's leading agricultural ...
1.4 France, a major cereal exporter
Almost half of French production is destined for export (***). The remainder of cereal production is intended to meet French demand. **% is marketed within the country, while the remaining **% is used by farmers for animal feed in particular. Breakdown of French cereal production France, ****, in Source : Passion Céréales Cereals are ...
1.5 The impact of Covid-19 on the cereals market
The coronavirus pandemic in **** had no overall impact on the global cereals market in terms of production. In fact, the graph below shows that cereal production and use actually increased in ****. The FAO estimates formulated on February *, **** projected cereal production and utilization at **** Mt and **** Mt respectively, i.e. lower than ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 Cereals in the human diet
Cereals for human consumption take several forms, with a total of * million tonnes of cereals used, mainly in milling (***). The graph below details the main sectors that use cereals for their production:
Use of cereals for human consumption France, ****/****, in millions of tons Source: ****
As can be seen, bread-making represents a ...
2.2 Cereals in animal feed
For the ****/**** campaign, around *.* million tonnes of cereals were used by the animal feed industry, making it the main consumer of cereal grains. This sector also absorbs the majority of co-products from cereal processing (***), thus contributing to the sector's zero waste objective.
Part of the cereal grain produced is consumed directly ...
2.3 Cereals in bioethanol production
Cereals and bioethanol are closely linked. Cereals are the main raw materials used in bioethanol production. Cereals are generally used to produce bioethanol from their starch and sugar, which are natural, non-polluting products. Converting these products into bioethanol is a complex process that can be carried out using a variety of ...
3 Market structure
3.1 The cereal value chain in France
Source: ****
3.2 Trends in cereal production in France
The annual trend in cereal production is not stable, and has fluctuated over the last decade. Between **** and ****, cereal production decreased by **.*% in value, **.*% in price, and increased by *.*% in volume.
Annual change in French cereal production by value France, ****-****, in Source: ****
The trend in soft wheat production in France ...
3.3 Geographical weighting of French regions in the country's employment and cereal production
In terms of added value for the region, the Hauts de France region has the highest added value from cereal growing, at *.* billion euros, followed by Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Normandie, at *.* billion euros.
Employment in the French cereals sector
In ****-**, the French cereals industry will employ ***,*** people and generate sales ...
3.4 Grain distribution in France
Global cereal distribution is dominated by the "Big Four", also known as the "ABCDs". These companies are :
A: Archer Daniels Midland (***), an American multinational estimated at $** billion B: Bunge, also American, with sales of $** billion C: Cargill, also American, with sales estimated at $*** billion D: Dreyfus, a Franco-Swiss group with sales ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 Typology of cereals produced in France
in France, more than half the cereals produced are soft wheat. This is followed by barley (***). Breakdown of cereal production in France France, ****, in Source: ****
4.2 Growing organic cereals
Organic farming is a production method designed to preserve the soil, natural resources and the environment in general.
Here are some examples of organic farming practices:
Crop rotation, Use of natural organic matter (***) and green manure, Respect for the seasons and the natural cycle of plants, Use of varieties adapted to ...
4.3 Trends in cereal prices and the bread price index
This graph shows the evolution of soft wheat prices (***) from January **** to May ****. Several periods of rising and falling prices can be observed during this period. The beginning of **** was marked by a drop that could be due to factors such as favorable weather conditions, oversupply or a drop in demand ...
5 Regulations
5.1 Regulations
Producer obligations
Before selling a product, the producer must ensure that sanitary obligations are met (***). He must also be able to provide all the information required for labelling and invoicing: otherwise, he is liable to his co-contractor and the authorities. [***]
Marketing cereals, oilseeds and protein crops
Cereals and oilseeds are subject ...
5.2 European regulations for organic cereals
European regulations CE ***/**** and ***/**** govern all organic plant production, including cereals, and are common to all European Union countries.
Producers who comply with these regulations can claim the "organic agriculture" label and use the AB logo for their production.
Controls are carried out by state-approved certification bodies (***).
The active substances authorized ...
5.3 The importance of the CAP to European and French agriculture
Launched in ****, the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (***) is a partnership between the agricultural sector and society, and between Europe and its farmers. Its objectives are to
to support farmers and improve agricultural productivity, guaranteeing a stable supply of food at affordable prices; ensure a decent standard of living for farmers in ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Segmentation
- +Simple.fr
- InVivo
- Axéréal
- Soufflet Groupe
- Vivescia
- Euralis
- Mars Petcare
- Intercéréales
- Millbäker
- Agriavis (Axereal)
List of charts presented in this market study
- Major cereal producers worldwide (including rice)
- Cereal production
- Cereal production in Europe, by volume
- World production by cereal type
- Use of different types of cereals
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Latest news
Royal Canin steps up investments in France - 21/05/2024
- - Mars investment in its French plants over the last five years: 500 million euros
- - Number of Mars plants in France: 8
- - Total Mars investment in 2023: 130 million euros
- - Share of Mars pet food business: 60% (worldwide and France)
- - Investment in Royal Canin's Aimargues and Cambrai production sites: 48 million euros
Beer: now world leader, Soufflet wants to make malt greener - 15/11/2023
- Malteries Soufflet has acquired 100% of Australia's United Malt through a €1 billion investment.
- Following the purchase, the division of the InVivo group became number one in the sector, with 41 plants and a quarter of the world market.
- Malteries Soufflet has opened operations in new countries, including North America and Australia.
- Craft beers account for 15% of beer sales worldwide
- Malteries Soufflet expects craft beer consumption to pick up again in less than two years
InVivo, the cooperative turned giant - 04/07/2023
- InVivo is an agricultural cooperative giant with sales of 12 billion euros.
- InVivo reaches agreement to buy United Malt Group (UMG)
- The purchase of UMG is estimated at over 1 billion euros
- Following this transaction, InVivo will become the world's leading maltster.
- The global beer market, in which malt is a key ingredient, is experiencing dynamic growth.
- InVivo doubled in size following the merger with family giant Soufflet, reaching sales of over €10 billion.
- InVivo has over 13,000 employees and more than 90 industrial sites.
- It was formed from the union of 185 agricultural cooperatives.
- InVivo owns 76% of Teract, a distribution subsidiary.
- The initial merger that led to the creation of InVivo took place in 2001 between Sigma and Uncaa.
Beer: Malterie Soufflet wins United Malt and becomes world champion - 03/07/2023
- Malteries Soufflet has become the world leader in malt, with almost a quarter of the global market.
- The company paid 1.5 billion Australian dollars (nearly 1 billion euros) to acquire United Malt Group, the 4th largest malt company in the world.
- With this purchase, Malteries Soufflet has doubled its activities.
- The purchase adds 12 processing plants to Malteries Soufflet's list of 29 industrial sites, located in Canada, the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom.
Mars Petcare invests 13 million euros in the Loiret region of France - 05/06/2023
- Mars Petcare: 50 years of existence
- Production site: Saint-Denis-de-l'Hôtel, Loiret, France
- Current production: 67,000 tonnes of wet food per year 600,000 cans and 1 million pouches produced per day
France's InVivo soon to be world malt leader - 31/03/2023
- Recent acquisition of La Malterie du Château by InVivo.
- Exclusive negotiations between Malteries Soufflet and United Malt Group (UMG) for a potential takeover.
- The deal could be finalized within three to six months.
- InVivo has sales of 12 billion euros.
- Malteries Soufflet would become the world's leading maltster, with annual production of 3.7 million tonnes and a 20% market share.
- UMG valued at 1 billion euros
- Expected beer market growth of between 2.5% and 5% over the next five years.
- According to IWSR, beer accounts for 75% of global alcohol volumes.
- Whisky market growth between 5% and 6% per year.
- Geographical complementarity between Malteries Soufflet (Europe, Latin America, Africa) and United Malt Group (Australia, Canada, New Zealand).
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