The total area of cereals and oilseeds for harvest 2015 in Great Britain is estimated at 3.72m hectares (ha), down two per cent from 2014, according to the annual AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Planting and Variety survey.
Anna Lockwood, AHDB market analyst said: "A lower area planted to oilseed rape and the major cereals this year reflects evolving cropping patterns throughout Great Britain. Changes are likely to be in response to developing economic and agronomic trends."
One of the key findings is that the GB oilseed rape (OSR) area is down by seven per cent from 2014 at 627,000ha, while in contrast, the estimated area in Scotland remains largely unchanged at 37,000ha (one per cent higher than last year).
The largest area decreases for OSR have been seen for the Eastern and South East regions of England, with falls of 16,000ha and 11,00ha respectively.
The drop in the area has been put down to several factors that include the restriction of the use of neonicotonoid seed treatments, which deferred planting as well as causing some crop failures.
Other possible reasons for the decline were low market prices against a back drop of the increasing risks of growing the crop, and possible impacts of the three-crop rule for farms with intensive wheat and oilseed rape rotations.
The total wheat area for GB is estimated at 1.87m ha or three per cent lower than the area for 2014. The wheat area in England is estimated at 1.74m ha, down 4 per cent compared to last year, while in contrast, the area of wheat in Scotland has increased by 3,000ha.
The higher Scottish wheat area partially offsets a six per cent decrease in the estimated total Scottish areas for both winter and spring crops of barley.
At 258,000ha, the Scottish spring barley area would be the lowest since 2010, with the area swing possibly a consequence of the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) three-crop requirements.
The overall estimated barley area in GB is 1.09m ha, 3 per cent higher than in 2014, with increases for both winter and spring barley, of 4 per cent and 2 per cent respectively.
Market round-up
United Auctions sold 202 store heifers at Stirling on Wednesday to a top of 294.4p per kg and an average of 236.6p (-2.4p on the week), while 238 store, beef-bred bullocks peaked at 288.5p and levelled at 244.3p (-4.2p). Sixty-six store, B&W bullocks sold to 195.2p and averaged 182.2p, while 64 store bulls peaked at 250.6p and levelled at 182.2p.
In the rough ring 132 cows averaged 126.9p.
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