UK: Total barley area estimated to be 4$ down on the year

The UK wheat area for harvest 2022 is set to slightly increase year-on-year. With autumn weather not posing many sowing challenges, it is estimated that 1,807Kha of wheat has been planted for harvest 2022. The increase in wheat area has mainly come at the expense of spring barley, AHDB reported on July 7.

The total barley area is estimated to be 4% down on the year, with a rise in winter plantings not outweighing a drop in spring barley area. There is an estimated uptick in oilseed rape plantings for harvest 2022, with high prices providing the incentive for farmers to grow this alternative break crop. In some regions the increase in oilseed rape plantings has come at the expense of oats. The total oat area is down year-on-year, but still historically high.

Anthony Speight, AHDB Senior Analyst, said “Nationally crop conditions are improved on last year with an expected increase to UK wheat production for harvest 2022. Questions over quality domestically remain, with bread premiums historically high.

“With a possibility of higher opening stocks and increased production, we could have a larger exportable surplus in the 2022/23 marketing year. If this is the case, then it would mean we will have to price competitively for the export market. With the conflict in Ukraine now factored in and acting as a price floor, global markets will need fresh bullish news if prices are going to maintain the highs seen in recent months. It is paramount that domestic growers mitigate and manage risk amid the price volatility that we will continue to see.

“Furthermore, with changing global geo-political dynamics and high global inflation, domestic growers are now faced with significantly higher crop input costs. These current higher input costs mean that margins for harvest 2023 will likely be squeezed on crops being planted this autumn and next spring.”

The key findings of the survey are:

In 2022 the UK wheat area is estimated at 1,807Kha, 1% up from 2021.

The total UK barley area for harvest 2022 is estimated at 1,103Kha, down 4% on the year.

The UK spring barley area is estimated at 656Kha, down 12% year-on-year, while the winter barley area is estimated to be 10% higher at 447Kha.

The UK oat area is estimated at 183Kha, 9% down year-on-year.

At 336Kha, the UK oilseed rape (OSR) area is 9% higher than 2021 levels.

For harvest 2022 KWS-Extase is the most popular wheat variety with 14% of the total wheat area. For barley, Laureate is the most popular variety, accounting for 32% of the total barley area.

With a decrease in spring barley area for 2022 (-89Kha) outweighing an increase in winter barley area (+42Kha), the total UK barley area is estimated to be down 4% year-on-year at 1,103Kha.

Overall, 59% of the total UK barley area is malting barley varieties, with full approval from the Institute of Brewing & Distilling.

Laureate is the most popular variety and accounts for 32% of total area, while RGT-Planet is second accounting for 11% of total area.

The overall winter barley area for 2022 has increased by 10% year-on-year to 447Kha. All regions in the UK (except North East (-8%), South West (-8%) and NI (-3%)) have recorded an increase in area for 2022.

The largest area increase is in the Eastern region with an increase of 13.4Kha year-on-year. Other larger area increases have been noted in East Midlands (+20%) and West Midlands (+32%).

The spring barley area is recorded at 656Kha, down 12% on the year and is the lowest spring barley area in the UK since 2014. The reduction in spring barley is due to UK growers increasing their area in winter cereals.

Every single region in the UK has recorded a drop in spring barley area for harvest 2022. With the most sizable area reductions in Yorkshire and Humberside (-35%), East Midlands (-19%) and West Midlands (-49%). The decline in these regions combined equates to 59Kha of the total 89Kha area reduction in the UK.

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