Provisional cereal and oilseed production estimates for England 2024
Updated 12 December 2024
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cereal-and-oilseed-rape-production/provisional-cereal-and-oilseed-production-estimates-for-england-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.
For detailed area, yield and production results go to the accompanying data set.
Key points
- 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 27% 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.
1.1 Areas
Figure 1: England crop areas between 2002 and 2024
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 27%, falling from 342 thousand hectares in 2023 to 250 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 27% to 250 thousand hectares and yield, which fell by 7.9% to 2.8 t/ha compared to 2023.
Figure 2: England crop yields between 2002 and 2024
Figure 3: Provisional cereal and oilseed production in England between 2002 and 2024
1.3 Straw
Straw production and end usage data is now included in this publication. Data for 2014 to 2024 has now been added to the full dataset.
In 2024, wheat straw production is estimated to fall by 17% to 2.4 million tonnes and oilseed straw production by 17% to 34 thousand tonnes compared to 2023, a result of decreases in both area and production. In contrast, barley straw production is estimated to increase by 12% to 1.7 million tonnes, driven by the increase in spring barley production and area. Oat straw production also increased in 2024, rising by 23% to 206 thousand tonnes (see Figure 4).
Figure 4: England straw production between 2014 and 2024
The most common use for straw was sold/exchanged for feed/bedding, accounting for 40% of straw production, followed by home use bedding/feed, accounting for a further 35% of straw production (see Figure 5).
Figure 5: Usage of straw in England as a percentage of productions between 2021 and 2024
| Year | Home use bedding/feed | Home use biomass | Home use for other purposes | Sold/ exchanged for feed / bedding | Sold for biomass | Sold for other purposes | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 31% | 1% | 1% | 45% | 8% | 14% | 100% |
| 2022 | 41% | 1% | 1% | 34% | 11% | 12% | 100% |
| 2023 | 41% | 1% | 1% | 35% | 8% | 14% | 100% |
| 2024 | 35% | 1% | 1% | 40% | 7% | 16% | 100% |
Notes:
- The sum of the components may not equal 100% due to rounding.
Section 2 Methodology: Provisional estimates of 2024 England cereal and oilseed rape production
2.1 England
Results are based on provisional results from the Cereal and Oilseed Rape Production Survey, a representative sample of cereal and oilseed rape growers across English regions and farm sizes. These early results are based on the valid responses from 1,338 farms (27% respondent rate).
The Cereal and Oilseed Rape Production Survey gathers data on production tonnages and moisture content for the various cereal and oilseed rape crops and seeks confirmation of the planted areas for these crops gathered from the June Census of Agriculture and Horticulture. The survey also gathers data on straw tonnage for these crops as well as straw production end usage.
2.2 Moisture content adjustment
Production was typically standardised to 14.5% moisture content for cereals and 9.0% for oilseed rape but since 2022, following discussions with stakeholders, we agreed that the production data will only be adjusted for farms which have reported moisture content above 14.5% for cereals and 9.0% for oilseed rape. Any production data which has been reported with lower moisture contents has not been adjusted. In an average year this would make little difference to the production total, e.g. in 2021, this new approach would have reduced wheat production by only 0.1%.
This new methodology gives a more representative estimate of the volume of actual crop available for use in the industry.
For detailed moisture content results for England and the English regions go to the accompanying data set
2.3 Changes to survey design
In 2024 we stopped collecting winter and spring oilseed rape production data separately and now only gather data for total oilseed rape production. Whilst we continue to sample all oilseed rape growers, fewer holdings now grow spring oilseed rape and as a result there were too few responses to enable us to publish winter and spring oilseed rape production data separately. See Section 2.5 Revisions below for further details.
2.4 Data notes
The cereal production (tonnage) figures include tail corn, cereals still to be harvested for grain, grain to be crimped and cereals intended for seed production. The figures exclude crops which have become unfit for harvesting, carryover stocks from the 2023 harvest, bought in grain and crops harvested as wholecrop for silage.
2.5 Revisions
Area and yield figures
In 2024, regional areas for 2010 onwards have been replaced with the final breakdowns from the June Survey of Agriculture. Regional yields have been recalculated as a result, although any changes are very minor. National areas, national yields and all production figures remain unchanged. Going forwards, provisional area splits will continue to be included in this dataset each year to enable provision of regional production estimates. These will be updated once final regional area breakdowns are available. National totals and all production figures will remain unchanged.
Oilseed Rape figures
In 2024, Spring oilseed rape area and production figures for 2022 to 2008 were apportioned into the regions, producing regional data at the total oilseed rape level. England results remain unchanged and regional yield figures have been re-calculated based on these updated regional production and area figures. From 2023 onwards Spring and Winter oilseed rape figures are produced as a combined total oilseed rape figure. An archived version of the Oilseed Rape data remains available, the area data here has not been updated as mentioned above.
For detailed results for England and the English regions go to the accompanying data set
2.6 Final 2024 harvest statistics
Full UK results will be published on 14 December 2024 and will include the final harvest figures for England as well as those for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
2.7 Feedback
We welcome feedback and any thoughts to improve the publication further. Please send any feedback to: Farming-Statistics@defra.gov.uk.
Section 3: What you need to know about this release
3.1 Contact details
The responsible statistician: Charlotte McGinty
Team: Farming Statistics - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Email address: Farming-Statistics@defra.gov.uk
Telephone: 03000 600170
3.2 Accredited official statistics
Accredited official statistics are called National Statistics in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. An explanation can be found on the Office for Statistics Regulation website. Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.
These accredited official statistics were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation in 2014. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics and should be labelled ‘accredited official statistics’.
You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards (see contact details above). Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.
Since the latest review by the Office for Statistics Regulation, we have continued to comply with the Code of Practice for Statistics, and have made the following improvements:
- Reviewed and amended the validation checks carried out on response data including validation against new administrative data sources to better assure ourselves of the quality of the statistics.
- Enhanced trustworthiness by removing pre-release access.