The quality of wheat gives the producer better prospects in terms of outlets, the first criterion being the protein content. She is the one who currently guides the markets for both food and feed.
In orderto sell its harvest, quality must be at the rendezvous. This is the trend observed in the wheat market. And to reach it, the first point of vigilance is the protein content. In Germany, Thomas Seeger, a 2000-hectare farmer, confirms that a class A wheat (protein level greater than 13%) gives the same yield but offers a better income (+ € 5 / t). The protein content is a financially interesting factor. He gets 13.3 to 13.5% on average on all his varieties of wheat.
In France, although protein levels are naturally lower, there is room for improvement. For Véronique Richon, a farmer in Marne, the protein content rhymes, for her too, with financial valuation. Whereas previously the protein content of milling wheat ranged between 10% and 11%, it has averaged 11.5% over the last five years, giving it a premium of € 3.50 / t.
The protein content must not be forgotten in a strategy to reduce production costs, particularly in terms of nitrogen fertilization.