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For more information on this release:
E-mail: agri@cso.ie Gerard Reilly (+353) 21 453 5700 Angela Hickey (+353) 21 453 5316
For general information on CSO statistics:
information@cso.ie (+353) 21 453 5000 On-line ISSN 1393-6867
CSO statistical release, , 11am

2015

ProductionCerealsPotatoes
     '000 tonnes
20142,598383
20152,634360
% change+1.4-6.0

Cereal production up 1.4% in 2015

Figure 1 Cereal Production
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Production of the three main cereals (wheat, oats and barley) increased by 36,000 tonnes to 2,634,000 tonnes in 2015. The yield increased by 6.4%, while the area sown decreased by 4.7%. See Tables 1- 3.

Beans and peas production increased by 241.8% from 20,000 tonnes in 2014 to 69,000 tonnes in 2015. The area sown increased by 7,100 hectares to 10,700 hectares and beans accounted for 92.5% of the total area in 2015. The large increase in the area under beans is due to the impact of the EU Protein Crop Subsidy and greening requirements under CAP.

Further comparisons with the 2014 results indicate that:

  • Spring wheat production was up by 61.3% (33,000 tonnes). This was principally due to an increase in the area sown of 3,600 hectares (+56.0%).
  • Oats production increased by 32.1% (48,000 tonnes).The area sown increased by 4,800 hectares (+25.9%) and the yield increased by 4.9%.
  • The yield of potatoes increased by 4.3% to 42.3 tonnes per hectare in 2015. The area sown decreased by 9.9% which resulted in a drop in production of 23,000 tonnes (-6.0%) to 360,000 tonnes.
  • Oilseed rape production was up by 16.7% (6,000 tonnes). The area sown decreased by 500 hectares (-5.6%), while the yield increased by 23.6%.
Winter Wheat Spring WheatWinter OatsSpring Oats Winter Barley Spring BarleyBeans and PeasOilseed RapePotatoes
20088401531482618211121120345
2009553137717416410632224336
201053213780682459782528420
2011793136719832610861656356
20126268268883209412059232
20134221234314934213212349410
201466354886255911722034383
2015610861059371210276940360
Table 1 Area under Crops
DescriptionJune 2013June 2014June 2015   Change 2014 - 2015
          ' 000 hectares' 000 hectares%
Wheat - total60.671.665.3-6.3-8.8
   Winter wheat45.465.155.3-9.9-15.2
   Spring wheat15.26.510.13.656.0
      
Oats - total26.718.623.44.825.9
   Winter oats5.410.111.41.312.4
   Spring oats21.38.512.13.641.8
      
Barley - total219.4215.7202.8-12.9-6.0
   Winter barley36.060.169.89.716.1
   Spring barley183.5155.6133.0-22.6-14.5
      
Wheat, oats, barley - total306.7305.9291.6-14.3-4.7
      
Beans and peas4.53.510.77.1201.4
Oilseed rape13.79.48.9-0.5-5.6
Potatoes10.79.58.5-0.9-9.9
Table 2 Yield of Crops
Description201320142015   Change 2014 - 2015
             tonnes per hectaretonnes per hectare%
Wheat - total9.010.010.70.66.5
   Winter wheat9.310.211.00.98.4
   Spring wheat8.18.38.60.33.4
      
Oats - total7.28.08.40.44.9
   Winter oats8.18.79.20.56.1
   Spring oats7.07.37.70.45.9
      
Barley - total7.68.08.60.56.8
   Winter barley9.59.310.20.99.7
   Spring barley7.27.57.70.22.5
      
Wheat, oats, barley - total7.88.59.00.56.4
      
Beans and peas5.25.76.50.813.4
Oilseed rape3.63.64.50.923.6
Potatoes38.240.542.31.84.3
Table 3 Production of Crops
Description201320142015   Change 2014 - 2015
          ' 000 tonnes' 000 tonnes%
Wheat - total545717697-20-2.8
   Winter wheat422663610-53-8.0
   Spring wheat12354863361.3
      
Oats - total1931501984832.1
   Winter oats43881051719.3
   Spring oats14962933150.2
      
Barley - total1,6631,7311,73980.5
   Winter barley34255971215327.4
   Spring barley1,3211,1721,027-145-12.4
      
Wheat, oats, barley - total2,4012,5982,634361.4
      
Beans and peas23206949241.8
Oilseed rape493440616.7
Potatoes410383360-23-6.0

Background Notes

Introduction   

This release presents final estimates of the area, yield and production of the main arable crops in 2015 together with the comparable estimates for 2013 and 2014. The June 2013 – June 2015 estimates for the area under crops shown in Table 1 have been obtained from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) Basic Payment Scheme.      

The yield estimates are obtained from a joint survey conducted by Teagasc and the CSO.

Methodology   

The yield figures are given on a “green” (as harvested) basis. The winter wheat yield refers to feed wheat. Similarly, the spring barley yield refers to feed barley. The oilseed rape yield is a weighted average of the winter and spring yield.

The bean and pea yield is the weighted average of pea and bean yield.

For potatoes, the early crop yield was applied to a proportion of the area under potatoes based on an estimate of the area sown under early potato varieties in each county. The main crop yield was applied to the remaining area. 

The State yield figure is generally calculated by multiplying the area figure by the average yield figure at a county level and then aggregating to the State level. The State production figure is then calculated by multiplying the State area, as per the Basic Payment areas from DAFM, by the State yield figure.

As a result of rounding there may be slight discrepancies between the sum (or difference) of the constituent items and the total shown. Percentage changes have been calculated on actual figures.

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