2022 was a record year for cereal yields in Scotland, according to recently released figures on the 2022 Scottish harvest.
Cereal and oilseed rape harvest: final estimates – 2022 were published by Scotland’s chief statistician today (Tuesday, December 13), providing estimates of land use area, yield and production for spring and winter barley, wheat, oats and oilseed rape for 2022.
The estimates show that total cereal yield is at a 20-year high in Scotland, rising 14% to 7.6t/ha in 2022.
Total cereal production from the 2022 harvest is 3.1 million tonnes, which is a 10% increase compared to 2021 and the highest level since 2014.
Yield specifically for winter barley, wheat and oilseed rape are the highest reported in the last 20 years. Production of oilseed rape is 16% higher than the average figure reported for the last decade.
Cereal production
Production also increased, despite decreases in the sown area of spring barley and oats. The record yields of 2022 offset reductions in area.
Barley still accounted for 63% of total cereal production in Scotland in 2022 however, and most (51%) of this is spring barley; around 12% of total cereals is winter barley.
Wheat is the second most widespread crop, making up around 32% of total cereal production. Oat contributed just 5% of total cereals produced.
In 2021, 50% of oats were used for milling.
Oats are also used in specialist animal feed and in further processing for oatcakes and porridge oats. In 2021, 27% of oats were used for feed and a further 10% sold to merchants for feed.
Wheat and barley are largely used for Scottish alcohol production.
