French farmers had sown 87 percent of the spring barley area for this year's harvest by March 17, up sharply from 20 percent a week earlier, farm office FranceAgriMer said on Friday.Field work in France and elsewhere in western Europe has picked up this month after dry, sunny conditions broke a period of wet winter weather that initially held up the start of the spring sowing campaign.Spring barley sowing progress was above the 62 percent seen at the same point last year, FranceAgriMer's weekly crop report said. Winter cereal crops continued to show faster growth than last year.For soft wheat, 43 percent of crops had reached the 1-cm ear stage against just 3 percent a year earlier, while 37 percent of winter barley was at the same stage, also against 3 percent at the same point last year.Winter cereals in the European Union's largest grain producer and exporter remained mostly in good condition.The share of soft wheat rated good or excellent by March 17 was 75 percent, unchanged on the week and up from 67 percent a year ago. For winter barley, the good/excellent ratings were also unchanged on the week, at 71 percent, above 67 percent a year earlier, FranceAgriMer's data showed.

Source - http://agri.eu/