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. 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 2012 at 1.61 million hectares, while total barley area is estimated to have increased 26% on 2012 figures at 1.23 million hectares.
Oilseed rape is estimated to be down 9% from 2012 levels at 686,000 hectares. Oats have increased by 32% to 159,000 hectares, and the GB field bean area has also increased by an estimated 14% to 109,000 hectares.
No region of GB 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 though to an estimated 26% drop in the southwest. However, in absolute terms, the largest declines are seen in the East Midlands (a fall of 66,000 hectares), Eastern England (63,000 hectares) and Yorkshire (55,000 hectares).
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, the wet autumn of 2012 followed a similar wet autumn for 2011, which reduced the Scottish wheat area. The estimated 86,000 hectares for 2013 is therefore a 25% drop on 2011 harvest area (115,000 hectares).
Driving the GB barley harvest area is a 54% increase in spring barley to an estimated 922,000 hectares 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% points. However, this may not 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.
2013 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 current hot and dry conditions is difficult to predict. The survey suggests the GB winter oilseed rape area is down 19% on 2012.
To a certain extent, additional spring oilseed rape has offset some of the winter losses. DK Cabernet remains the top oilseed rape variety, commanding 16% of the estimated harvest area, but this is down from 21% last year. PR46W21 climbs to second place with 10% of the estimated area, an increase from 5% last season.
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