Cereals and Oilseed Area Falls July 15, 2015 12:00 am The area of cereals and oilseeds has fallen by 2% in Great Britain for the 2015 harvest. AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds (aka the HGCA) has published its Planting Survey results for 2015 which provide a fairly accurate guide to crop areas. More detailed figures will emerge from the June Survey conducted by DEFRA/SG/WG which has a larger sample size. This is publsihed in September. The table below shows the results of the AHDB Survey alongside previous years’ June Survey figures. HGCA PLANTING SURVEY – 2015 ‘000 Ha – GB 2011 Final 2012 Final 2013 Final 2014 Final 2015 Estimate % Change 13 – 14 Wheat 1,958 1,982 1,607 1,927 1,871 -3% Winter Barley 352 379 305 422 439 +4% Spring Barley 591 597 883 634 647 +2% Oats 106 120 175 135 137 +1% Cereals Total 3,007 3,079 2,968 3,119 3,094 -1% Oilseed Rape 704 755 715 674 627 -7% Total 3,711 3,834 3,683 3,793 3,721 -2% Source: DEFRA / AHDB (HGCA) excludes ‘other cereals’ such as rye, triticale etc. It can be seen that wheat has fallen by around 3% although remains at more normal levels than that of the weather-hit 2013 season. The winter barley area has again increased. Spring barley and oats are also up on the 2014 harvest year. This, along with the reduction in oilseed rape is perhaps a consequence of changes in policy and the introduction of Crop Diversification under Greening. The AHDB also conduct a Variety Survey at the same time. This confirms the trend of recent years of an ever-growing proportion of Group 4 plantings. These feed varieties made up 63% of all plantings for the 2015 harvest; up from 58% last year and the highest for at least a decade. There was a small decline in Group 1milling varieties although with new varieties coming in for harvest 2016 this decline could be reversed. Of the barley crop, 58% was planted to varieties with malting potential (down from 60% the previous year). VARIETY SURVEY – 2015 – Source: AHDB
