Plantings in England and Wales by 1 December:
Wheat 1.815 million ha
An increase of 19 per cent from the total area harvested in 2013, even before any late winter or spring wheat plantings.
Winter barley 0.369 million ha
This is 41 per cent higher than was harvested in 2013 and the highest level of winter barley planting in England and Wales since 2003. The total barley area will depend on spring planting levels.
Oats 89,000 ha
The oat area planted is 38 per cent less than the total oat area (winter and spring crops) harvested in 2013
Oilseed rape 0.703 million ha
This represents a 3 per cent increase over the total (winter and spring) oilseed rape area harvested in 2013.
A total of 2.976 million ha of wheat, winter barley, oats and oilseed rape was planted by 1 December 2013. This amounts to 14 per cent more than the total area of these crops harvested in 2013.
The increase in winter plantings has been attributed to favourable weather conditions during the autumn, a stark contrast to the conditions during the winter planting window for harvest 2013.
AHDB Senior Analyst Helen Plant said: “The higher wheat area increases the likelihood of the UK being able to return to being a net exporter of wheat in 2014/15. However, weather conditions during the rest of the growing season will be important in determining the quality and yields, and thus the UK’s export potential next marketing season.
“The expectation of a larger wheat crop is reflected in new crop pricing, with the November 2014 UK feed wheat futures prices trading at an increased discount to the equivalent Paris milling futures contract. The wheat area is also expected to remain high across Europe and with limited crop issues so far, the UK may face strong competition in export markets.
“It seems likely that winter barley plantings have benefited from farmers looking to widen the harvest window and spread the workload. In some areas, extending the rotation as well as supporting the establishment of subsequent oilseed rape crops, may also have been a motivation.”
After the England and Wales oat area hit a 36 year high in 2013, a decline for harvest 2014 has been largely expected due to lower prices for crops not grown on contract. While the current estimate doesn’t include spring oats, the large area planted to all winter crops may limit the area available for spring planting in England and Wales.
The impacts of the extreme 2012 and 2013 seasons continue for some growers due to the rotational implications of cropping patterns.
Full analysis of the England and Wales planting results, plus data from the Scottish Government, will be published in a Prospects article on the HGCA website on 25 March.
* The survey measures autumn crop planting up to 1 December 2013, is based on 2,771 responses from a representative sample of farm businesses.