Production of the three main cereals (Wheat, Barley, and Oats) decreased in 2024 by 27,900 tonnes to 2,012,200 tonnes (-1.4%) when compared with 2023.
Wheat yield dropped by 0.7 tonnes per hectare (-7.0%) while Oats and Barley increased by 0.3 tonnes per hectare (+4.3%) and 0.5 tonnes per hectare (+6.6%) respectively.
Wheat production fell by 106,300 tonnes (-20.5%) to 413,600 tonnes. Production of Oats rose by 29,000 tonnes (+14.0%) and Barley by 49,400 tonnes (+3.8%).
Beans and Peas production was up by 14,900 tonnes (+18.4%) to 96,200 tonnes in comparison with 2023.
Oilseed Rape production was down by 30,600 tonnes (-31.4%) to 66,800 tonnes.
Production of Potatoes increased by 46,100 tonnes (+14.3%) to 368,300 tonnes in 2024.
Agricultural crop yield and production data for 2023 have been revised since originally published, as a result of a change in methodology developed following consultation with our data provider. Area under crops remains unchanged.
The data in this release reflects these revisions. Please also see PxStat Table AQA04
The figures for 2024 show that the area under Cereals dropped by 10,400 hectares (ha) (-3.9%) to 258,900 ha due to a decline in the area under Winter Cereals with the largest decrease observed for Winter Wheat down by 10,600 ha (-20.6%). There was a rise in the area under Spring Cereals with the largest increase seen for Spring Oats up by 5,100 ha (+29.6%). The area under Beans and Peas rose by 2,700 ha to 18,900 ha (+16.6%) in 2024. Oilseed Rape area dropped from 21,600 ha in 2023 to 16,100ha in 2024 (-25.3%). The area under Potatoes went up by 1,100 ha (+13.2%) to 9,300 ha in comparison with 2023.
There was an increase in yield across all referenced crops in 2024 with the exception of Winter Wheat and Winter Barley which both fell by 0.6 tonnes per hectare and Oilseed Rape which was down by 0.4 tonnes per hectare. Cereal yield rose by 0.2 tonnes per hectare to 7.8 tonnes per hectare (+2.6%) with Spring Barley showing the greatest increase in yield from 6.4 tonnes per hectare in 2023 to 7.3 tonnes per hectare (+14.6%) in 2024.
Cereal production was down by 27,900 tonnes (-1.4%) in 2024. Production of each Winter Cereal decreased with the biggest drop seen for Winter Wheat which fell by 125,500 tonnes (-25.8%) to 360,000 tonnes when compared with 2023. Production of each Spring Cereal rose with Spring Barley showing the greatest increase up 159,500 tonnes to 1,011,300 tonnes (+18.7%). The drop in Oilseed Rape production of 30,600 tonnes (-31.4%) was due to a decrease in the area sown and the yield while the rise in Beans and Peas production of 14,900 tonnes (+18.4%) was mainly due to an increase in the area sown. Potato production was up from 322,200 tonnes in 2023 to 368,300 tonnes in 2024 (+14.3%).
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (27 May 2024) published the Area, Yield and Production of Crops 2024. Commenting on the release Stephanie Kelleher, Statistician in Agriculture Surveys, said: "Overall, there was a slight decrease, 27,900 tonnes (-1.4%), in the production of the three main Cereals grown in Ireland in 2024 compared with 2023. The reduction was due to a drop in the production of Winter Cereals, with Winter Wheat down 125,500 tonnes (-25.8%), Winter Oats by 18,900 tonnes (-22.6%) and Winter Barley by 110,000 tonnes (-23.8%). Some of the reduction was offset by an increase annually in the production of Spring Cereals, Spring Wheat increased by 19,100 tonnes (+55.5%), Spring Oats by 47,900 tonnes (+38.9%), and Spring Barley by 159,500 (+18.7%).
In 2024, the production of Beans and Peas amounted to 96,200 tonnes, which was 14,900 tonnes (+18.4%) higher than 2023. This was due, in part, to an increase in the yield from 5.0 tonnes per hectare in 2023 to 5.1 tonnes per hectare in 2024, but mainly due to a larger area planted, which rose by 2,700 ha (+16.6%).
Oilseed Rape production dropped almost a third (-31.4%) in 2024 to 66,800 tonnes. Not only was less area planted with Oilseed Rape at 16,100 ha compared with 21,600 ha in 2023 (-25.3%), the yield fell from 4.5 tonnes per hectare in 2023 to 4.1 tonnes per hectare in 2024 (-8.1%).
Potato production increased by 46,100 tonnes (+14.3%) annually to 368,300 tonnes in 2024. Potato yield rose by 1.0% to 39.6 tonnes per hectare. The area of Potatoes was 9,300 ha in 2024, which was 1,100 ha (13.2%) more than 2023.”