Great Britain’s Acreage of Oilseed Rape to Fall to 13-Year Low

Great Britain’s area of oilseed rape acreage is expected to fall to its lowest in 13 years. Total acreage is predicted to be 557,000 hectares for 2017 – a decline of four percent from 2016, according to the Early Bird Survey published by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).

This will be the fifth consecutive year of oilseed rape acreage decline for the country. However, the decline is concentrated in certain geographical regions – with significant decreases in the east of England due to cabbage stem beetle damage and lack of moisture.

Conversely, spring barley acreage is predicted to see another increase with acreage totaling 799,000 hectares – 17 percent more than what is predicted for harvest in 2016, and wheat acreage is predicted to see a minimal decline of one percent due to grass weed challenges.

More on this story