UK plans to increase wheat acreage

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has forecasted a 5% increase in the UK's wheat planting by 2025, rebounding from last year's difficult weather conditions. This comes at the expense of a 17% decrease in oilseed rape planting, marking the lowest level in the UK in 42 years, with potential further reduction due to pest damage and weather conditions. Meanwhile, winter and spring barley planting is expected to decline by around 7% from the previous year.

The area planted to wheat in the UK is set to increase by 2025 compared to last year, according to a survey by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), Agriland reported on 22 November. The 2025 harvest forecast shows an increase in the area of wheat and oats, while winter and spring barley and oilseed rape will fall from 2024. The figures are a snapshot of farmer actions and intentions collected in early November. The total area planted to wheat is forecast to increase by 5%, after difficult weather last autumn saw the area sown sharply reduced. In contrast, oilseed rape will be sown much less than previously, down 17%. This is the lowest level in the UK for 42 years. The final area could be even lower, depending on pest damage, ...