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hard to say what the impart on the cultivation is

France: Spring starts with water shortage

France is having to deal with a dry spring again. In 2011 the country also had a historically dry year. This isn't just because the average temperature 5°C is higher than usual for this time of year. Between September and February 20% less rain fell than usual. 30 mm fell on average in March. This is less than half of the usual 69 mm. Only in the region Nord-Pas-de-Calais more rain fell than usual this month.

This is causing problems, mainly in the South East of France, where the ground at the moment is like in a normal May. For the other parts of France the moisture content in the ground is comparable to the end of April.

It's too early to say whether the water shortage this year will have just as much impact as last year. The minister of agriculture, Bruno LeMaire, announced last week that there will be a meeting on the 12th of April to get more clarity on the situation and the possible measures.