The Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published the official UK grain and oilseed rape (OSR) production figures for 2024.
All the main cereal crops and OSR saw reductions in yields in 2024 compared to 2023 except for oats which saw a 8.6% increase. Overall yields were down on the five year average.
The final estimate of the 2024 UK wheat harvest is 11.1 million tonnes, a decrease of 20% on 2023. This was driven by an 11% decrease in area and 10% decrease in yield.
The final estimate of the 2024 UK barley harvest is 7.1 million tonnes, an increase of 1.8% on 2023. This comprises a 24% decrease in winter barley production offset by a 24% increase in spring barley.
Oat production increased by 19% to 986 ,000t in 2024, driven by increases in both area and yield. OSR production decreased by 32% to 824,000t in 2024, driven by decreases in both area and yield.
The 2023/2024 wheat area saw a decrease of 11%, whereas barley and oats both saw increases in area in 2024, of 5.1% and 9.3% respectively.
Production figures
Difficult weather conditions in the autumn of 2023 led to a swing between winter and spring plantings with a 19% increase in the spring barley area and a 15% decrease in winter barley area.
The UK’s main cereal crops and OSR all showed decreases in 2024, except for oats which saw an 8.6% increase.
The final 2024 UK wheat harvest is 11.1 million tonnes, a decrease of 20% on 2023. This is the smallest wheat harvest since 2020 when wet weather last affected autumn plantings.
Area and yield were both below the five-year average, with area down by 11% and the yield down by 10% to 7.3t/ha (t/ha). Production was down across all UK nations.
The final 2024 UK barley harvest is 7.1 million tonnes, an increase of 1.8% on 2023. This comprised a 24% decrease in winter barley to 2.4 million tonnes, offset by a 24% increase in spring barley to 4.6 million tonnes.
Winter barley yield decreased by 9.8% to 6.4 t/ha and area decreased by 15% to 384,000ha.
Meanwhile, spring barley yields increased by 4.1% to 5.7 t/ha and area increased by 19% to 810,000ha.
Oats production increased by 19% on 2023 to 986 thousand tonnes, however this was still below the five-year average. This was driven by increases in both area by 9.3% and yield by 8.6% to 182 thousand hectares and 5.4 t/ha respectively.
OSR production is 824,000t down by 32% on 2023. The OSR area decreased by 25% and yield decreased by 9.7% to 2.8t/ha.
