SCOTLAND'S 2017 cereal harvest is expected to rise 12% on 2016, almost fully recovering from last year’s poor results.

Despite less favourable conditions in September, Scottish farms are estimated to produce 3.1 million tonnes of cereals this year, including 1.9 million tonnes of barley and one million tonnes of wheat. This total is 8% up on the ten-year average.

Releasing the first estimates of the 2017 Scottish cereal and oilseed rape harvest, the Scottish Government’s chief statistician said that the expected increase in production was due to an 11% increase in overall cereal yields.

The total area of land sown is also expected to have risen by 1% on last year, with an estimated 433,000 hectares of cereal grown in 2017. Overall yields are expected to average at a record high of 7.1 tonnes per hectare; ranging from 6.2 tonnes per hectare for spring barley to 9.0 for wheat.

Spring barley, Scotland’s most important cereal crop, is expected to increase 16% to 1.5 million tonnes, but still lower than in 2013 to 2015. The yield however is expected to be the highest recorded, at about 6.2 tonnes per hectare.

Winter barley likewise saw a 13% increase to 371,000 tonnes, with wheat increasing 7% to 988,000 tonnes. Oats saw a third consecutive increase, with record yields for the second year, and the crop expected to top 215,000 tonnes for the first time since the 1970s.

Oilseed rape is expected to rebound from the particularly poor 2016 figures, with yields averaging over four tonnes per hectare, resulting in production at around 140,000 tonnes, slightly less than 2014 and 2015.

Commenting on the publication of these first estimates, rural economy secretary Fergus Ewing said: “Despite some farmers continuing to struggle with the fifth wettest summer on record, I am pleased that early indications suggest Scottish cereal production may have increased 12% to 3.1 million tonnes. Although many farmers have still to complete their harvest, this increase of around 330,000 tonnes on last year includes a 14% rise in barley yields, 7% in wheat, and 3% in oats – a third consecutive year of strong growth and representing the highest oats yield on record, as oat production reached its highest level since 1989.

“I am also pleased to note that this year’s oilseed crop has rebounded after the strong winds that affected last year’s harvest so badly, to record a 24% increase in yields and a 38% increase in production.

“Farmers should remain mindful of the importance of resilience and planning within their businesses and I would encourage them to consider the use of innovative techniques and best practices to help further increase efficiency and become more resilient to future challenges and shocks," he added.