English Crop Area Drops

The drop in combinable crop areas for harvest 2013 has been confirmed.  We wrote last month about the HGCA survey that showed reductions in winter cereals and oilseed rape plantings in Great Britain.  DEFRA has now published provisional results (for England only) from the June Survey of Agriculture.  Having a larger sample size, this should more accurately reflect what is happening on-farm, but it largely echos the HGCA results.

The English wheat area is reported to have declined by 19%.  Winter barley plantings have decreased by 22%, but this is more than compensated for by spring plantings up 92%.  The result is an overall increase in the barley area of 32%.  Winter oilseed rape shrank by 17%.  Again, this was partly compensated by a surge in spring plantings (albeit from a low base), so the total OSR area is put to be 5% down.  Fallow land jumped by 71%, and the oats area was up 53%. 

Not surprisingly, there are significant regional variations.  For example, the drop in wheat area is ‘only’ 16% in the Eastern region, but well over 20% for regions further north and west in England.  Final English Survey figures (along with livestock numbers) are expected in mid-September.  The UK provisional data will be available in mid-October.