According to Statistics Estonia, the 2023 wheat harvest was 1.2 million tons, which was 21% less than the previous year. An average of 3.4 tonnes of wheat per hectare was obtained, the lowest result in the last five years. Yields of most other crops also fell, for example the fruit and berry harvest was lower than ever. However, the potato harvest increased by 9%.
The lead analyst of Statistics Estonia Ege Kirs pointed out that last year cereals were grown on 352,000 hectares, which is 3% less than in 2022. “The area planted with wheat decreased because, due to last year’s weather conditions, a larger part of the grain was harvested for green fodder,” Kirs explained.
Of the cereals, 208,000 hectares were winter cereals and the remainder were summer cereals. The yield of winter crops was 15% lower than the previous year, the average yield was 4.1 tons per hectare. For summer crops, this figure was 2.5 tonnes per hectare, or even 28% less than in 2022. Depending on the county, the average grain yield ranged from 2.6 tonnes in Võru County and 2 .8 tonnes in Harju County to 4.2 tonnes per hectare in Jõgeva County. In 2023, a total of 694,000 tonnes of wheat, 332,000 tonnes of barley, 62,000 tonnes of rye and 81,000 tonnes of oats were harvested from Estonian fields.
The cold spring, the summer drought and the excessively rainy autumn also reduced the yield of other crops. Among other crops, the total legume harvest decreased by 4% and that of canola and canola by 37%. At the same time, an average of 2.2 tons of legumes and 1.8 tons of rapeseed and rapeseed were obtained per hectare. The yield of perennial forage crops decreased by 11%, while the yield of maize increased by 17%, and cereal and legume crops were harvested for green fodder twice as much as the previous year.
The year was especially difficult in fruit and berry cultivation, where apple growers’ harvest was 3.4 times lower than in 2022 and two times lower than in 2021.
Last year the total open-field vegetable harvest decreased by 4%, but this was due to the reduction in cultivation area. The yield of vegetables in the open field was very similar to that of the previous year and more generally to the average of recent years.
With one small exception, last year’s potato harvest increased. During the year, the area under potato cultivation increased by 2% and was cultivated together with home gardens on a total of 3,500 hectares. On average, 24.5 tons of potatoes were obtained per hectare, for a total of 85,000 tons. Calculated per inhabitant, 62 kilograms of potatoes are obtained.
Look also the agriculture field page.
More detailed information has been published in the statistical database.
to know more
2024-01-29 09:20:10
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