The price of linen raw materials continues to rise. We report on the current status of flax cultivation in 2023 based on the September report of the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp.
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The 2023 production volume of flax, the raw material for linen fiber, was historically low due to poor weather throughout the cultivation process, from sowing at the end of March to harvesting in June and July.
Flax cultivation, like many agricultural products, requires France and other countries to deal with the effects of climate change.
In France, temperatures were +2.7 °C higher compared to the 1961–1990 average. Many countries experienced record heat. The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp published a harvest report on July 4, 2023, considering the severe weather from spring to summer 2023.
(Photo: flax being harvested and retted)
Flax yields varied between 3.5 and 5.5 tonnes per hectare (normally 6–7 tonnes), a 26–36% decrease.
Between July and September, rainfall, morning dew, and sunlight help soil microorganisms remove pectose, which binds fibers to the woody core. In northern France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, high rainfall meant humidity and heat were not optimal for this process, leaving 6–12% unharvested.
Not all farms in the same region were equally affected.
Raw material and final fiber yields are trending below average across most of the 147,000 hectares of flax, reported at 2–5 tonnes per hectare (estimates still ongoing).
Spring-sown flax suffered greatly: long fiber yields on most farms are only 12–15%, around 400–500 kg per hectare, half of the 2022 harvest.
Winter flax (late-sown) benefited from better conditions, with yields of 6.5–7.5 tonnes per hectare. In 2023, 10,000–11,000 hectares were planted, double that of 2022.
Fibers from different lots will be combined, slightly affecting supply for Spring/Summer 2024. Production capacity is still under review. With global demand for natural fibers rising, price pressures on linen are expected to continue.
Source: EUROPEAN FLAX – 2023 HARVEST ESTIMATES #2, September 12, 2023
INFORMATION RELEASE – EUROPEAN FLAX: 2023 CROP SITUATION UPDATE – 12 September 2023
Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp
