Yield and production estimates for the main cereal crops and potatoes for the year 2014 were issued today by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD).
The estimates for cereal yields were obtained from a post-harvest survey of 235 growers, whilst potato estimates were derived from a survey involving pre-harvest digs covering potato crops on approximately 170 farms.
Estimates for the areas of each crop were published as part of the results of the June Agricultural Census on 27 November 2014. The following estimates refer to crop yields and production:
Barley: Total production of barley has decreased to approximately 136,000 tonnes. Production has risen for winter barley but fallen for spring barley primarily due to changes in the area grown in 2014. Planting conditions for winter barley were good in autumn 2013 and as a result areas planted of winter varieties increased while spring varieties decreased, both returning to levels similar to those for 2011. Yields for winter and spring barley have increased by 3 and 4% respectively.
Wheat: Production of wheat increased by 10% from 2013 to 64,000 tonnes. This was due to an increase in both area planted and yield. The area sown increased by 7% from 2013 to 8,500 hectares but this was some way off the peak of 12,100 hectares planted in 2008. Yield was 3% higher than in 2013 at 7.5 tonnes per hectare.
Oats: Production of oats increased by 18% to almost 12,000 tonnes. Both yields and area planted increased in 2014 returning to levels similar to those in 2011 at approximately 6 tonnes per hectare and 2,100 hectares respectively.
Potatoes: The pre-harvest production estimate of maincrop ware and seed potatoes is 154,000 tonnes, some 4% higher in 2014 than in 2013. This is due primarily to an increase of 14% in the average yield. In 2014 the area planted decreased by 3%. The total pre-harvest estimate, including early varieties increased to 156,000 tonnes.
Provisional results from DEFRA show that UK yields of barley, wheat and oats have all risen compared with 2013.The link below provides the latest UK results:
www.gov.uk/government/structure-of-the-agricultural-industry
Tables showing Northern Ireland results can be accessed on the DARD website at the following link:
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