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The significant growth in the harvested production of grain was affected not only by the increase of area sowed with cropper (by 17.2 thsd ha or 2.6 % more than in 2014), but also by a significant growth of the average yield per one hectare of sowing.

Area sowed with cropper, total yield and average productivity

In last four years the average productivity of grain is above 30 quintals from hectare

As a result of an improved technological process of raising cropper, selection of  highly productive and more qualitative variety of seminal and very favourable climatic conditions, the average productivity of grain increased from 34.0 quintals in 2014 to 44.9 quintals in 2015, that is the highest productivity in the history of Latvia. In 2008 for the first time the productivity of grain exceeded 30 quintals from a hectare, but only in last four years it is above 30 quintals.

The growth of the productivity of grain was observed in all regions of Latvia. In Zemgale, where sowings of cropper formed 30 % of all sowings of cropper in the country, the average productivity of grain reached 52.9 quintals from a hectare and 35.3 % of the total harvested grain in Latvia were obtained. In Kurzeme the average productivity of grain reached 44.7 quintals, in Vidzeme – 39.5 quintals, in Latgale – 37.0 quintals.

In farms with area sowed with cropper exceeding 150 hectares (60 % of area sowed with cropper in the country) the average productivity reached 51.8 quintals, and from this area was obtained 70 % of the total harvested grain.

The growth of the total harvested grain was significantly affected by the high average productivity of winter wheat from a hectare – 55.3 quintals that is by 23.3 quintals or 72.8 % more than in 2014. In 2015 winter wheat occupied 43.2 % of the total area sowed with cropper, but their proportion in the total harvested grain reached 53.1 %.

In big farms with area sowed with winter wheat exceeding 300 hectares, that constituted 3 % of all total area sowed with winter wheat, the average productivity of grain reached 62.7 centners from a hectare and there were obtained 48.0 % of the total harvested winter wheat.

The highest average productivity of winter wheat was in Zemgale – 60.5 quintals, and also in Latgale, where the productivity of grain is usually lower, it reached 47.6 quintals from a sowing hectare.

The sown area of rape substantially decreased

In 2015 as compared to the previous year the sown area of rape decreased by 11.1 thsd hectares or 11.1 %. The average productivity of rape grew from 18.5 quintals in 2014 to 32,9 quintals in 2015, in turn, the total rape’s seed yield grew by 107.2 thsd tons or 57.8 %. It was affected by the growth of winter rape’s that occupies 77 % of the total area sowed with rape, seed productivity from 19.0 quintals in 2014 to 36.5 quintals in 2015. Exports of rape and Swede rape seeds increased by 66.thsd tons or 39.5 % as compared to the previous year.

In 2015 the total sown area of legumes increased by 2.7 times, of which sown area of beans – by 17.5 thsd hectares or 3.1 times. It was promoted by the introduction of a new supporting payment for agricultural practice favourable to climate and environment or making green.

The sown area and the total yield of potatoes decreased by 7.3 % and 1.6 %, respectively, but its average productivity per one hectare increased by 6.1 %. 

Last year 194.9 thsd tons of vegetables (including vegetables grown in greenhouses) were grown that is by 3.5 thsd tons or 1.9 % more than in 2014. Open field vegetable areas decreased by 1.8 %, however, with an increase of the average yield from 217 centners in 2014 to 225 centners in 2015, the volume of harvested vegetables grew by 3.2 thsd tons or 1.8 %.

Sown areas of agricultural crops, thsd ha

Harvested production and average yield of agricultural crops

¹ Provisional data

More information on average purchase prices of grain is available in the CSB database chapter „Crop production” but data on sown areas of agricultural crops, total production will be published on 30 April 2016.

Statistics on crop production and methodological information is available in the CSB site “Main indicators – Agriculture”.