Flax industry poised for record harvest

At the Première Vision Paris trade fair, held at the Villepinte exhibition center from July 2 to 4, the Alliance for European Flax-Hemp announced that a record harvest was expected this year, after several difficult years for flax producers.

A scutching cooperative in the Neubourg region of Normandy, France – MG/FNW

Flax harvesting is about to begin in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and the industry predicts that this year’s harvest could produce an average of 6 to 7 tonnes of bast per hectare. A yield that has not been achieved since 2019.

It is from this phloem, the inner part of the flax stem, that the flax fibre will be extracted. It remains to be seen how much long fibre, those used for textile production, will be produced after scutching next autumn. The industry is optimistic, having already sounded the alarm last year on the effects of climate change on production, which has been halved in 2023.

There is also the possibility of harvesting winter flax, sown in late autumn rather than spring, with 30,000 hectares devoted to this crop. Land that “produces a slightly lower yield in some regions”, specifies the Alliance, whose members are currently seeking to identify the best species for these off-season crops.

Harvest data is closely monitored by fabric manufacturers and fashion brands. In March, the average price of European flax fibre (Alliance trademark), calculated across all types and regions, was €9.08 per kg, up 55% from the previous year, after being affected by a poor harvest.

The industry is hoping that the current harvest will generate a larger production at more consistent prices. This year, 180,000 hectares of land in Europe were dedicated to flax cultivation, an increase of 20% compared to the previous year, for a total area 10% higher than the previous record in 2020.