Cereal and oilseed rape harvest - first estimates: 2023

Glossary

Barley: Spring and winter barley are sown in Scotland. Most of the barley in Scotland is the spring variety. Spring barley is sown around March. Winter barley is sown in the autumn.

Hectares: the official measurement of agricultural land. One hectare is 10,000 square meters or roughly the same as a full-size rugby pitch.

Oats: The majority of oats grown in Scotland are sown in the spring.

Oilseed rape: Oilseed rape is not a cereal. It is part of the cabbage family. Because it is grown and harvested in a similar way to other cereals it is included in our harvest estimates. Almost all of Scottish oilseed rape is the winter variety.

Production: the total amount of crops that are produced measured in metric tonnes.

Total cereals: This publication focuses on the three major cereal types grown in Scotland. These are barley, wheat and oats. Other cereals are grown in Scotland but in much smaller quantities.

Wheat: Scottish wheat is mainly winter sown soft wheats suitable for milling. The Scottish climate does not suit hard wheat varieties.

Yield: the amount of produce, weighed in tonnes, that is harvested per hectare of land.