Fall in total cereals and oilseeds harvest area

THE TOTAL cereals and oilseeds harvest area in Great Britain has fallen by an estimated 4% on last year to just above 3.68 million hectares ( m/ ha), according to the 2013 Home Grown Cereals Authority planting and variety survey, writes Ewan Pate.

As a result of the poor planting and growing conditions this year farmers were asked to submit their intended harvest area rather than planted area.

The total GB area dedicated to barley and oats has increased, while wheat and oilseed rape area has reduced, reflecting the poor planting conditions of last autumn and a switch to spring cropping.

GB wheat area is down 19% on last year at 1.61 m/ha. Total barley area is estimated to be up 26% at 1.23 m/ha.

Oilseed rape is estimated to be down 9% from 2012 levels at 686,000ha.

Oats have increased by 32% to 159,000ha.

The GB field bean area is up by an estimated 14% at 109,000ha.

“This season has been the most severe since 2001, when set-aside was still in place,” Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board senior analyst Jack Watts said.

“However, 12 years on, with no set-aside to fall back on and relatively strong grain prices, the most economic scenario for the majority of growers has been to plant spring crops in place of what would have been winter crops.”

He added: “Yields still remain uncertain, however, especially following the recent hot and dry conditions and ongoing concer ns about soil compaction.

“For oilseed rape there has been a large variation in individual farmer approaches to the decision to abandon crops, so this estimated decrease in oilseed harvest area needs to be treated carefully.”

No GB region appears to have escaped the fallout from the difficult planting conditions of 2012. The reduction in wheat harvest area ranges from a fall of 12% in eastern England to an estimated 26% drop in the south-west.

However, in area terms the largest declines are in the East Midlands, with a fall of 66,000ha; eastern England, with 63,000ha less; and Yorkshire, which is down 55,000ha.

In Scotland, the intended harvest area is estimated at 86,000 hectares, down 14% on 2012 with a comparable level not seen since 2003.

However, last year’s wet autumn followed a similar wet autumn for 2011 which reduced the Scottish wheat area. The estimated 86,000 hectares for this year is therefore a 25% drop on the 2011 harvest area (115,000 hectares).

Driving the GB barley harvest area is a 54% increase in spring barley to an estimated 922,000ha for 2013, with plantings in England forming the majority of the increase.

In Scotland, which accounts for a third of the GB spring barley area, harvest area has increased by 5% to 303,000 hectares. This, quality and yield depending, could provide much-needed supply for the distilling sector.

In terms of variety make-up, 73% of the GB area is estimated to be down to malting varieties — an increase of 6%.

This may not, however, feed through to an increase in malting availability at harvest as pass rates will be heavily influenced by germination and nitrogen content, which are driven by the growing and harvesting conditions.

This season marks the end of a three-year run where records have been set for the GB oilseed rape area.

The impact of abandonment, delayed crop development and the hot and dry conditions is difficult to predict. The survey suggests the GB winter oilseed rape area is down 19% on last year.

To an extent, additional spring oilseed rape has offset some winter losses.

Oats have increased 32% to 159,000 hectares. The AHDB/HGCA winter planting survey suggested a 30% drop in the winter oat area. Potential factors driving the subsequent increase in spring plantings are increased oat milling demand, land free for cropping and available varieties.