The production of cereals was smaller than expected

News
Posted on 28 January 2013, 10:00
According to the preliminary data of Statistics Estonia, the cereal production was 993,800 tons in 2012. Despite the smaller production than expected, it increased by almost a third compared to the previous year.

The end of the harvesting period in 2012 was rainy and it did not let to harvest all the production. Of the total cereal production, 485,000 tons of wheat, 341,500 tons of barley and 57,300 tons of rye were produced. The average yield per hectare was 3,419 kilograms of cereals, of which 3,901 kilograms of wheat, 3,129 kilograms of barley and 3,393 kilograms of rye.

The sown area of cereals was 290,600 hectares in 2012, 2% less than a year earlier. The sown area of wheat was 124,300 hectares, which was 3% less than in the previous year. The sown area of barley decreased by 8% and amounted to 109,200 hectares in 2012. If during last years the sown area of rye decreased, then in 2012 the sown area of rye amounted to 16,900 hectares which is more than a fourth compared to the previous year.

The production of legumes was 13,200 tons and the average yield was 1,202 kilograms per hectare. Legumes were sown on 11,000 hectares, which is almost a third more than a year earlier and the largest sown area of legumes during the last three decades.

According to preliminary data the yield of rape and turnip rape seed was 162,600 tons. In 2012, rape and turnip rape were sown on 86,000 hectares. The average yield was 1,892 kilograms of rape and turnip rape seed per hectare.

The production of potatoes amounted to 148,200 tons, which was a tenth less compared to the year earlier. The sown area of potatoes has been less than 10,000 hectares since 2008 and it was 8,800 hectares in 2012. The average yield of potatoes was 16,882 kilograms per hectare.

In autumn 2012, 44,900 hectares of winter wheat, 8,900 hectares of rye and 4,700 hectares of triticale were sown for harvesting in 2013.