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In 2014, harvested production of grain reaches the highest level in the history of Latvia

Guna Karlsone, Statistics Latvia, 18.02.2015.Print version
Preliminary data compiled by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) show that in 2014 harvested production of grain accounted for 2.2 mln tons, which is 278.5 thsd tons or 14.3% more than in 2013, thus exceeding the record of 2012 and reaching the highest level of harvested production of grain in the history of Latvia.

The significant growth in the harvested production was mainly affected by increase in the cereal cropland area. In 2014 the area of cereal cropland was 655.2 thsd ha, which is 71.3 thsd ha or 12.2% more than in 2013. Spring wheat yield also had a positive impact on the growth of harvested production of grain.

 

Due to unfavourable wintering conditions the area of winter wheat decreased by 89.6 thsd ha or 35.3%.

 

The areas of frosted winter cereals were resown with spring cereals, the share of which in the total sown area of cereals reached 67.9% (in 2013 – 48.6%). It should also be noted that the average yield of spring cereals was higher for all spring cereals, except buckwheat, as compared to 2013.

 

In 2014 the sown area of spring wheat was two times or by 120.3 thsd ha larger than in 2013. As spring wheat yield increased from 31.3 quintals per ha in 2013 to 39.5 quintals in 2014, its share in the harvested production reached 42.3%.


Harvested production, purchase and average purchase price of grain

Data source: Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia

 

The purchase of grain grown in Latvia reached its peak in the last four years – 1947.3 thsd tons (412.0 thsd tons or 26.8% more than a year before). In turn, average purchase prices of grain kept decreasing, and in 2014 accounted for EUR 148.06 per ton or 16.5% less than in 2013, which is the lowest price in the last four years.

 

Wheat accounted for 77.6% of the total amount of purchased grain. Its purchase grew by 250.9 thsd tons or 19.9%, of which food wheat – by 31.2 thsd tons or 3.3%. Also the volume of purchased rye increased – by 10.6 thsd tons or 11.8%, of which food rye – by 6.0 thsd tons or 7.8%.


Compared to 2013 the volume of grain export also increased in 2014. 1323 thsd tons of wheat and meslin were exported in 2014, which is 251 thsd tons or 23.4% more than in 2013.  Exports of rye grew by 41 thsd tons or 2.7 times as compared to the previous year. It should be noted that like a year before, also in 2014 export volume may include grain of the previous year’s yield.

 

The sown area of rape decreased by 28.1 thsd ha or 22.0% due to unfavourable wintering conditions for winter rape. The sown area of winter rape declined by 23.7 thsd ha or 30.6%, and the average seed yield from one hectare of winter rape dropped from 26.8 quintals in 2013 to 19.0 quintals in 2014. As a result rape production dropped by 111.1 thsd tons or 37.5%.

 

In 2014 with the sown area of potatoes decreasing by 1.9% and the average yield of potatoes growing by 4.0%, 9.8 thsd tons or 2.0% more potatoes were harvested as compared to the previous year.

 

191.3 thsd tons of vegetables (including vegetables in greenhouses) were grown in 2014, and it is 50.9 thsd tons or 36.2% more than a year before. Open field vegetable areas decerased by 2.9%; however, with an increase of the average yield from 148 quintals in 2013 to 217 quintals in 2014, the volume of harvested vegetables grew by 52.9 thsd tons or 42.0%.


Sown areas of agricultural crops (thsd ha)

 

2013

20141

2014 compared to 2013, %

Total sawn area

1146.5

1150.5

100.4

Cereals

583.9

655.2

112.2

    Winter cereals

300.0

210.5

70.2

      wheat

253.6

164.0

64.7

      rye

29.1

32.3

110.8

      triticale

14.2

10.7

75.0

    Spring cereals

283.9

444.7

156.7

      wheat     

118.2

238.5

201.8

      barley

82.3

116.4

141.4

      oat

62.4

66.8

107.0

      buckwheat

10.6

10.2

97.0

Rape

128.2

100.1

78.0

Potatoes

27.3

26.8

98.1

Vegetables(open field)

8.5

8.2

97.1


Harvested production and average yield of agricultural crops

 

Harvested production, thsd t

Average yield from 1 ha, quintals per ha

 

2013

20141

2014 compared to 2013, %

2012

20131

Cereals

1948.7

2227.2

114.3

33.4

34.0

    Winter cereals

1187.6

676.1

56.9

39.6

32.1

      wheat

1065.1

525.6

49.3

42.0

32.0

      rye

75.6

114.3

151.2

25.9

35.4

      triticale

36.6

26.9

73.5

25.7

25.2

    Spring cereals

761.1

1551.1

203.8

26.8

34.9

      wheat     

369.9

941.9

254.6

31.3

39.5

      barley

222.3

409.5

184.2

27.0

35.2

      oat

134.2

155.1

115.6

21.5

23.2

      buckwheat

10.8

8.5

78.1

10.3

8.3

Rape

296.6

185.5

62.5

23.1

18.5

Potatoes

495.9

505.7

102.0

182

189

Vegetables

140.4

191.3

136.2

148

217

 

Provisional data

 

More information on sown areas of agricultural crops, total production and average yield will be published on 30 April 2015 in the CSB database section Crop production.






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