When looking at CSO crop area and yield data from 1997-2017, yield trends have been largely positive but crop area has fluctuated. While the data for fodder crops such as maize and beet is unavailable, the data gives a comprehensive view of the country’s main cereal, protein and brassica crops.

The total area of combinable crops has remained reasonably stable throughout this period, but has ranged from extremes of 281,300ha to 328,900ha with peaks in 2004, 2008, and 2012. This was driven largely by increased wheat area due to strong prices. However, crop area has been on a downward trend from 2012 to 2017. Despite lower yielding years, such as 1998, 2002, 2005 and 2012, the average yield trend across all crops has been marginally increasing over the past 20 years. For example, the average yield in 1997 for winter barley and wheat was 5.7t/ha and 8.0t/ha respectively. This increased to 8.4t/ha and 10.4t/ha in 2017.

High yielding years across all crops included 2000, 2004, 2011 and 2015.

The total area of barley has fallen by over 35,000ha between 2013 and 2017 from a peak of close to 220,000ha. Up until this point the area remained reasonably stable between 170,000 -190,000ha.

Overall, the general trend in winter barley area has been a steady increase since 2009 with a corresponding decrease in spring barley area. The area of winter wheat has been fluctuating, reaching to over 80,000ha in 2002, 2008, and 2012. The area of spring wheat has been steadily declining since a peak of over 30,000ha in 2003, to under 7,000ha in 2017.

On balance, the total winter and spring oat area remained broadly similar over the past 20 years with the exception of 2013 which saw a spike in oat area.The winter oats area was substantially greater than the spring oats area between 2006 and 2009, while the area of spring oats commanded a higher majority between 2010 and 2014. Oilseed crop area remained relatively flat, at around 2,200-2,600ha before spiking in 2007 at 8,200ha and then jumping to over 17,000ha in 2012. The area has now levelled off, between 8,000 and 10,000ha.

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Grain output down around 30%