Teagasc Crop Report
Harvest Report 2024
Harvest Report 2024
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Headlines
- Total cereal production for 2024 is estimated to be 1.9mt which is similar to 2023 and 0.3mt below the 5 year average of 2.2mt.
- Overall cereal grain quality was good. Hectolitre weights in feed wheat and barley were 2 to3 points higher than 2023. The majority of malting barley reached minimum specification with a low level of rejections.
- There was a small decrease of 9,500ha (3.5%) in cereal area in 2024. Winter oilseed rape declined by 30% in 2024 and spring bean area increased to a record 17,600ha.
- The decline in winter crop area was due to intense rainfall and saturated ground in October. October was the 2nd wettest month of the year. November saw more rainfall and flooding. Much of the area planted was damaged due to flooding resulting in patchy crops with sub optimal plant counts.
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Spring 2024 was the 6th wettest on record. Rainfall in February, March and April was above average, 149%, 146% and 130% respectively. There was virtually nothing planted until April 20th. This led to a further change in cropping plans for the season. There was also the added complication of a scarcity of spring barley seed due to the wet autumn/spring.
- Spring barley area increased to 133,400ha (12,500 ha > 5 year average). Grain yield in spring barley was above expectations at an average 7.32 t/ha which was largely due to cooler than normal temperatures during the growing season, particularly in June.
- The cool summer also favoured spring beans. Despite very late planting the average yield was 5.2 t/ha which is only 0.5 t/ha below the 5 year average of 5.7 t/ha. However late planting resulted in a very late harvest and high moisture content.
- Straw yield was below average but this was compensated for by a significant increase in price due to increased demand.
| Crop | Cereal Area (‘000 ha)Crop | Yield | Cereal Production | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (t/ha) | ('000 tonnes) | |||||||||
| 2024¹ | 2023 * | Diff (ha) | %* | 2024** | 2023* | 2024﹩ | 2023 * | Diff | % | |
| (‘000 tonnes) | ||||||||||
| W. Wheat | 40.8 | 51.2 | -10.4 | -20% | 8.86 | 9.50 | 343 | 462 | -118.7 | -26% |
| S. Wheat | 7.1 | 4.6 | 2.5 | 54% | 7.54 | 7.40 | 51 | 32 | 18.5 | 57% |
| W. Barley | 43.0 | 52.9 | -9.9 | -19% | 8.13 | 8.70 | 332 | 437 | -105.3 | -24% |
| S. Barley | 138.8 | 133.4 | 5.4 | 4% | 7.32 | 6.30 | 965 | 798 | 166.6 | 21% |
| W. Oats | 7.5 | 10.0 | -2.5 | -25% | 8.66 | 7.90 | 62 | 75 | -13.4 | -18% |
| S. Oats | 22.6 | 17.2 | 5.4 | 31% | 7.68 | 6.50 | 165 | 106 | 58.7 | 55% |
| Total Cereals | 260 | 269 | -9.5 | -3.5% | - | - | 1918 | 1911 | 6.4 | 0% |
| 0.0 | ||||||||||
| WOSR | 15.1 | 21.6 | -6.5 | -30% | 4 | 4.5 | 57 | 92 | -35.0 | -38% |
| S Beans | 17.6 | 16.2 | 1.4 | 9% | 5.2 | 5 | 87 | 77 | 10.0 | 13% |
Notes;
1 Preliminary DAFM BPS figures
* CSO 2023 Area, Yield and Production of Crops
** Teagasc estimates
$ Yields x Utilisable Area (Area x 0.95)
Winter wheat
The area of winter wheat in 2024 was 40,800 ha which was a decrease of 10,400 ha on 2023 and 11,800 ha below the 5 year average of 52,600 ha. The decline in area was due to intense rainfall and saturated ground in October. Much of the area planted was damaged due to flooding resulting in patchy crops with sub optimal plant counts leading to lower yields. The North East was worse hit in terms of patchy crops and yields were lower as a result.
Crop inputs - herbicide, PGR and nitrogen, were delayed due to poor ground conditions in March and April. Disease control was difficult in 2024 with high levels of septoria in all areas.
Average yield was 8.86t/ha which is 0.64t/ha below 2023 and 1.1t/ha below the 5 year average of 10t/ha. Average grain moisture at harvest was 19.3% and hectolitre weight increased from last year at 74.5 kg/hl.
Spring wheat
The area of spring wheat increased to 7,100 ha in 2024, an increase of 2,500 on 2023 and 500ha over the 5 year average of 6,600 ha. The majority of spring wheat was grown in Cork, Wexford, Dublin and Meath.
Average yield for the crop was 7.5t /ha which is 0.5t/ha below the 5 year average.
Delayed harvesting resulted in some higher moistures but the average moisture was 20.1% Average hectolitre weight was 73.3 kg/hl, a 2 point increase from 2023.
Winter barley
The area of winter barley decreased to 43,000 ha in 2024. Similar to winter wheat saturated soils in October has a significant impact on the area planted which is almost 23,000ha below the 5 year average of 65,700 ha.
Shoot counts were low in the spring due to wet weather and poor soil conditions and delayed fertiliser application. Disease levels were low. BYDV was virtually absent in the South but had an impact on yield in some crops in Leinster.
There was a large variation in yields across the country. Some early sown crops yielded in excess of 10.0t/ha but the overall average was 8.13t/ha. This 0.8t/ha below the 5 year average of 8.9t/ha.
Average moisture was 19.0% and average hectolitre weight was 64.3 kg/hl.
Spring barley
The area of spring barley increased to 138,800 ha in 2024. This is an increase of 5,400ha from 2023 and 17,900ha higher than the 5 year average of 120,900ha.
There was virtually nothing planted until April 20th due to wet weather in February, March and early April. There was a shortfall in seed as a result of the wet autumn and subsequent lower winter cereal area which, despite difficulties locating suitable seed abroad, led to the importation of a significant proportion of spring barley seed.
Early planted crops showed signs of compaction as a result of poor soil conditions but conditions improved as planting continued into late April/early May. Overall establishment was good. Cool weather in June and a lack of drought helped crop development. Disease levels were low expect for some early season net blotch.
Average yield was higher than anticipated at sowing with the average for 2024 at 7.32t/ha. This is 1t/ha higher than 2023 and only 0.2t/ha below the 5 year average. Grain quality was good with an average hectolitre weight of 64.5kg/kl.
Most malting barley reached the required specification and the level of rejections was low.
Winter oats
The area of winter oats was 2,500ha lower than 2023 at 7,500 ha reflecting the poor soil conditions in October/November. Average yield for the crop was 8.7t/ha which is the same as the 5 year average.
Average moisture was 18.2% and grain quality was good with average hectolitre weight at specific weight 54.5kg/kl.
Spring oats
The area of spring oats increased to 22,600 ha to give an overall oats are of 30,100 ha. Most crops were planted in late April and establishment was good. Similar to spring barley the cooler conditions during the season favoured crop development.
Average yield for spring oats was 7.68 t/ha which is slightly above the 5 year average.
Average moisture was 18.8% and quality was excellent with average hectolitre weight 54.2 kg/kl.
Winter oilseed rape
The area of winter oilseed rape dropped to 15,100 ha from the record area of 21,600 ha in 2023. A reduced area of the main entry crop for winter oilseed rape, winter barley, had an impact on the lower area.
Most crops overwintered well and pigeon grazing was low. Poor ground conditions in March resulted in delayed nitrogen application on many farms. Light leaf spot was evident in February but it didn't progress later in the season.
Average yield was 4.0t/ha which is 0.6t below the 5 year average of 4.6t/ha. Average moisture was 10.6%.
Spring beans
The security of the protein payment, a low winter crop area and reducing crop options resulted in a record area of spring beans in 2024. The final area was 17,600 ha which is an increase of 1,400 on 2023 but is 7,100 ha over the 5 year average of 10,500 ha. Cool weather in June favoured crop development and the majority of crops avoided drought conditions. Disease levels were relatively during the season.
Late planting resulted in a very late harvest. Harvesting didn't commence until mid September and a significant proportion were harvested in October. As a result moistures were high with an average of 24.5%.
Similar to spring barley average yield was higher than anticipated. Average yield for 2024 was 5.2 t/ha which is only 0.3t/ha below the 5 year average of 5.5t/ha. However it is important to note that average moistures were high in 2024 where the average moisture in 2024 was 24.5%. Some crops were harvested at moisture contents closer to 30% which led to significant price deductions.
Straw
Straw supplies were in short supply coming into 2024 due to the poor harvest in 2023 combined with the uptake of the SIM straw incorporation measure. Straw prices for those who had stock to sell was high and as a result of the poor winter crop establishment and the late spring, there were genuine concerns that there would be a shortage of straw and the price would increase further. As the spring was delayed and late crops of spring wheat and spring oats were being drilled the expectation was that the straw from these crops would be difficult to save so many of these crops were entered into the SIM again for 2024.
The poor spring also had a negative effect on grass growth with poorer than average first cut silage crops being reported, this in turn, allied with the low straw stocks and the poor crop outlook, led to fears that there could be a shortage of fodder throughout the country. On the back of this the Minister for Agriculture announced in July, just as the winter barley harvest had started, that he was going to suspend the SIM which caused a lot of anger in tillage circles. He later announced that the SIM would stay but he also announced a Baling Assistance Payment (BAP) which encouraged tillage farmers to withdraw from the SIM scheme and sell their straw but they would also get a payment of €175 per hectare for every hectare they withdrew from the SIM.
This had the desired effect that a number of farmers withdrew from the SIM following contact from livestock farmers, it also seemed to put a ceiling on straw prices of about €30 for a 4x4 bale of straw. However, straw yields were reported to be below the average across the board.
Winter Crop Planting 2024/25
- In contrast to the previous autumns, conditions for planting this season have been excellent resulting in a significant increase in the area of winter cereals and oilseed rape.
- The area of winter barley has not increased in proportion to the increase in wheat and oats area. Increased demand for malting barley has been suggested as the main reason for the stagnation in the area.
- The area of winter oilseed rape has dropped to an estimated 10,000 ha for harvest 2025 from a record area of 21,600 ha grown for harvest 2023. A low area of winter barley and a late finish to this years harvest are contributory factors in the reduced area.
- The increased area of winter oats will most likely result in a lower spring oat area.
- Crop diversification (2-3 crop rule) is in force for 2025.
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Wheat | 56.2 | 60.4 | 51.2 | 40.8 | 55 |
| Winter Barley | 67.5 | 73.8 | 52.9 | 43.0 | 50 |
| Winter Oats | 13.9 | 15.2 | 10.0 | 7.5 | 12 |
| Winter Oilseed Rape | 10.0 | 14.5 | 21.6 | 15.1 | 10 |
* Teagasc estimates
Note; Thanks to all our colleagues and industry partners/stakeholders who supplies us with the figures to finalize this report.