The UK will harvest less wheat this harvest due to more barley and oilseed rape being sown, according to the AHDB’s latest Planting and Variety Survey.

The survey, which provides planted area estimates for the UK with a GB regional breakdown, revealed that the UK wheat area for harvest 2023 is down 3% on last year, at 1.75m hectares.

Extase remains the top variety, accounting for 17% of the total wheat area.

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The 5% increase in the total UK barley area was due to increases in both winter and spring crop areas.

Spring malting barley Laureate was the top variety, accounting for nearly one-third of the total GB barley area.

There is also an increase in the British oilseed rape (OSR) area, estimated at 11% year-on-year, as high prices in Spring 2022 offered growers the incentive to plant additional OSR.

AHDB adds that there has been a move away from alternative break crops such as oats, as the GB oat area has decreased by 7% year-on-year.

The key findings of the survey are:

• In 2023 the total UK wheat area is estimated at 1.75m tonnes, 3% down from 2022
• The total UK barley area for harvest 2023 is 1.15m hectares, up 5% on the year.
• The GB spring barley area is 702,000ha, up 7% year-on-year
• The GB winter barley area is estimated to be 2% higher at 434 ,000ha
• The GB oat area is estimated at 161,000ha, which is 7% down year-on-year
• The GB OSR area is estimated at 402,000, which is 11% higher than 2022 levels
• For harvest 2023, Extase is the most popular wheat variety with 17% of the total GB wheat area. For barley, Laureate is the most popular variety, accounting for 32% of the total GB barley area.