Production and yield of both wheat and barley were up in the United Kingdom in 2017, according to the first estimate of this year's harvest.
The production and yield estimates are included in the results of the June surveys of agriculture and horticulture conducted by Defra, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for Northern Ireland.
The report provides statistics on agricultural land use, crop areas, crop yields, crop production and livestock numbers in the United Kingdom.
For wheat, figures put the 2017 harvest at 15.2 million tonnes, which is an increase of 5.4 per cent on the previous year.
Production in 2016 was 14.4 million tonnes. Despite the increase from last year, production is still below the 16.6 million tonnes produced in 2014 and the 16.4 million tonnes harvested in 2015.
The harvest is, however, above the five-year average of 14.5 million tonnes between 2012 and 2016.
Yields increased by 7.3 per cent, rising from 7.9 tonnes per hectare in 2016 to 8.5 tonnes per hectare in 2017. This helped to offset a reduction in the area planted with wheat this year. The area of wheat was down by 1.7 per cent.
Barley
The provisional barley harvest for 2017 shows an increase of 10.6 per cent compared with 2016.
Defra figures suggest that production will have been 7.4 million tonnes this year. It is above the five-year average of 6.7 million tonnes between 2012 and 2016.
There was a 3.6 per cent reduction in the area of land planted with winter barley, but an 11.3 per cent increase in yield - from 6.4 to 7.1 tonnes per hectare - has resulted in a first production estimate of three million tonnes.
The area of land planted with spring barley this year increased by 10 per cent. Together with a 2.4 per cent increase in yield, this has resulted in an estimated harvest of 4.3 million tonnes - 13 per cent up on the figure of 3.8 million tonnes in 2016.
Overall barley production is up by 10.6 per cent year-on-year, from 6.7 to 7.4 million tonnes.
Oilseed rape
The Defra statistics reveal a significant increase in production of oilseed rape in 2017.
The department's provisional estimate indicates that the harvest was up by 23 per cent compared with 2016.
Production is estimated at 2.2 million tonnes, compared with 1.8 million tonnes last year, despite a fall in the area of land planted with the crop.
Some 590,000 hectares were sown with oilseed rape this year compared with 608,000 hectares in 2016 and 670,000 hectares in 2015, but a large improvement in yield has helped to boost production figures.
Yield in 2017 was 3.9 tonnes per hectare, according to the Defra estimate - an increase of 26.5 per cent on the figure of 3.1 tonnes per hectare in 2015.
The better yields pushed production up above last year, although this year's projected harvest is still lower than the 2.5 million tonne harvests of both 2014 and 2015
The yields this year are at their highest levels despite a ban on neonicotinoids.
The figures show that only twice before has the average yield reached 3.9 tonnes per hectare – in 2011 and 2015.
Yields are averaging 0.2 tonnes higher than in the four years before the neonicotinoid flowering crop ban, environmental group Friends of the Earth has pointed out.
Oats
The planted area of oats had the largest proportional increase of the major cereal crops - rising by 14 per cent to 161,000 hectares.
Yields in England decreased marginally, although this was offset by increases in Scotland and Northern Ireland, resulting in a UK yield that remained virtually unchanged at 5.8 tonnes per hectare.
Production for the year is estimated at 933,000 tonnes - an increase of 14.4 per cent on last year's 816,000 tonnes.
Total agricultural land, including common rough grazing, is up 0.8 per cent to 18.8 million hectares. The area of total crops has increased by 1.6 per cent to 4.7 million hectares. There has been a 7.8 per cent decrease in uncropped arable land - from 262,000 hectares to 241,000 hectares.
The total area of horticultural crops increased by 3.4 per cent in 2017 to 167 thousand hectares. Vegetables and salad for human consumption make up 70 per cent of this area and increased by four per cent to 117 thousand hectares in 2017.
Livestock
The total number of cattle and calves in the UK is 10 million, roughly the same as in 2016. The female breeding herd accounts for more than a third of the total cattle and stands at just under 3.5 million head in 2017.
The number of fattening pigs increased by 2.2 per cent in 2017 and, along with a small increase of 0.5 per cent in the female breeding herd, the total number of pigs rose by two per cent to just under five million.
The number of lambs in the UK has increased by 1.9 per cent this year to 17.2 million. The female breeding flock increased by two per cent to 16.6 million.
The total UK sheep and lamb population now stands at 34.6 million.
'Mixed results'
The National Farmers' Union (NFU) has described this year's harvest results as "mixed". The union has urged the government to drive arable productivity and efficiency.
NFU combinable crops board chairman Mike Hambly said it is "good news" that there is still an overall yields increase.
However, he said many farmers are still struggling with unpredictable weather, rising input prices and restricted access to plant protection products.
“Even now, many farmers have still yet to complete this year’s harvest,” Mr Hambly said.
“It is vital we build on increasing yields and in order to do this farmers’ need to have all the tools available to protect their crops and invest in new technology.
“A new domestic agricultural policy must enable farm businesses to be profitable and productive, while easing the impact of volatility to ensure Britain’s arable farmers can continue to provide food for the nation and deliver for the environment.”
