Flax industry ready for record harvest

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

A tree-clearing cooperative in the Neubourg region of Normandy, France – MG/NO

The flax harvesting process is about to begin in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and the sector expects that this year's harvest could produce an average of 6 to 7 tons of flax per hectare, a production that has not been achieved since 2019.

From this bast, the inner part of the flax stem, flax fibre will be extracted. It remains to be seen how much will be obtained in terms of long fibres, those used for textile production, after the debarking phase next autumn. The sector is optimistic, having raised the alarm last year about the effects of climate change on production, which will be halved by 2023.

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

Textile manufacturers and fashion brands are closely following harvest data. In March, the average price of European flax fibre (the Alliance's trademark), calculated for all types and regions, was 9.08 euros per kilo, 55% higher than the previous year, after being affected by a poor harvest.

The sector expects the current harvest to bring higher production at more regular prices. This year, 180,000 hectares have been devoted to flax cultivation in Europe, 20% more than in the same period last year, which represents a total area 10% higher than the previous record, recorded in 2020.