Lowest barley harvest since 1970s forecast this year

This autumn’s cereal harvest in the country is expected to total 2.9 million tons, a fifth smaller than in the previous year, said the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) in a press release on Friday.

In particular, the barley harvest will be smaller than normal at roughly a billion kilos. This is the smallest harvest since the 1970s, similarly to the 2021 harvest.

The total barley harvest will be a third, the wheat harvest almost a tenth and the turnip rape and rapeseed harvest a quarter smaller than the average harvests during the last ten years.

“The downward trend in harvests illustrates the impact of this summer’s weather on plant growth. The sunny and dry early summer, combined with the recent rains, had a negative impact on crop production,” said Anneli Partala, Senior Statistician of Luke.

For long, oat was the most cultivated cereal in Finland. In the history of the statistics, oat produced the largest harvests in 1920–1976.

Barley cultivation expanded rapidly in the 1970s, passing oat as the most productive crop.

For the last 50 years, barley has been the most cultivated cereal in Finland. The annual barley harvest exceeded two billion kilos in the peak years 2005–2008.

This year’s barley harvest is forecast to be down to half of the peak level at slightly more than a million tons.

“This autumn’s oat harvest is estimated at a million tons, a couple of per cent smaller than the ten-year average, being at a fairly normal level. No similar drop has been seen in oat and wheat areas during the last ten years as in the barley area. Currently, the wheat harvest is estimated at 770,000 tons,” Partala said.

For rye, our fourth most cultivated cereal, the harvest is estimated at roughly 100,000 tons, a fifth higher than the ten-year average. This year’s rye area was a tenth larger than normal.

For long, oat was the most cultivated cereal in Finland. In the history of the statistics, oat produced the largest harvests in 1920–1976.

The annual barley harvest exceeded two billion kilos in the peak years 2005–2008. This year’s barley harvest is expected to be down to half of the peak level at slightly more than a million tons.

“This autumn’s oat harvest is estimated at a million tons, a couple of per cent smaller than the ten-year average, being at a fairly normal level. No similar drop has been seen in oat and wheat areas during the last ten years as in the barley area. Currently, the wheat harvest is estimated at 770,000 tons,” Partala said.

For rye, our fourth most cultivated cereal, the harvest is estimated at roughly 100,000 tons, a fifth higher than the ten-year average. This year’s rye area was a tenth larger than normal.