Provisional Cereal And Oilseed Production Estimates For England 2024 - Wheat Production Drops

11th October 2024

This release contains the first estimate of the 2024 English cereal and oilseed harvest. Data are not yet available for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland but will be included within the final production estimates for the United Kingdom in December 2024.

All the main cereal crops and oilseed rape saw reductions in yields in 2024 compared to 2023 except for oats which saw an 8.5% increase. Overall yields were down on the five-year average.
The provisional estimate of the 2024 English wheat harvest is 10.0 million tonnes, a decrease of 22% on 2023. This is due to decreases in both yield and area.

The provisional estimate of the 2024 English barley harvest is 4.9 million tonnes, an increase of 2.7% on 2023. This comprises a 26% decrease in winter barley production offset by a 41% increase in spring barley.
Oat production increased by 20% to 773 thousand tonnes in 2024, due to an 11% increase in area and an 8.5% increase in yield.
Oilseed rape production is estimated to have fallen by 33% to 687 thousand tonnes in 2024. This was driven by a 29% decrease in area and a 7.9% decrease in yield.

Wheat straw production is estimated to fall by 17% to 2.4 million tonnes, whereas barley straw production is estimated to increase by 12% to 1.7 million tonnes.

Section 1: Area, yield, production and straw
Following a very wet July, the drier and warmer weather in early August aided the start of the English harvest. Further periods of wet weather disrupted progress in many regions through August into September and whilst conditions were drier from mid-September progress was steady in some regions.

The wheat area saw a decrease of 11%, whereas barley and oats both saw increases in area in 2024, of 6.2% and 11% respectively (see Figure 1). Difficult weather conditions in the autumn led to a swing between winter and spring plantings with a 17% decrease in the winter barley area and a 28% increase in spring barley area.

The oilseed rape area decreased by 29%, falling from 342 thousand hectares in 2023 to 245 thousand hectares in 2024.

1.2 Yields and production
The provisional estimate of the 2024 English wheat harvest is 10.0 million tonnes, a decrease of 22% on 2023. This is the smallest wheat harvest since 2020 when wet weather last affected autumn plantings. The wheat area decreased by 11% and the yield decreased by 12% to 7.1 tonnes per hectare (t/ha). This is below the five-year average and varied between regions.

The provisional estimate of the 2024 English barley harvest is 4.9 million tonnes, an increase of 2.7% on 2023. This comprises a 26% decrease in winter barley production, offset by an increase in spring barley production, rising by 41%. Spring barley yield increased by 10% to 5.6 t/ha and area increased by 28% to 524 thousand hectares. Both yield and area increases were seen across all regions for spring barley, however yields are still close to or below the five-year average.

In 2024, oats production increased by 20% to 773 thousand tonnes and the overall yield increased by 8.5% to 5.2 t/ha compared to 2023. Average regional yields vary from 4.6 t/ha in the South West to 6.3 t/ha in Yorkshire and The Humber.

Oilseed rape production decreased by 33% to 687 thousand tonnes in 2024. Driven by a decrease in both area, which fell by 29% to 245 thousand hectares and yield, which fell by 7.9% to 2.8 t/ha compared to 2023.

Read much more in the full report HERE