RLAG2401
2023 marked with the lowest average yield of cereals in the past five years
Central Statistical Bureau provisional data show that 2.7 million tonnes of grain were harvested in 2023, which is 527.8 thousand tonnes or 16.3 % fewer than in 2022.
Last year, the total cereal area grew by 17.2 thousand hectares or 2.2 %, however the cereal yield was negatively affected by unfavourable weather conditions resulting in the lowest yield produced in the past five years – 34.1 quintals per hectare.
The monthly precipitation in June was 67 % below the normal, thus making June 2023 the second driest June recorded in meteorological observations. The monthly precipitation in August, in contrast to the dry June, was 88 % above the normal.
In 2023, compared to 2022, the harvested production of winter cereals reduced by 390.2 thousand tonnes or 15.7 % and fell to 2.1 million tonnes. The average yield of winter cereals dropped from 48.7 quintals from hectare in 2022 to 41.3 quintals in 2023, making it the lowest yield harvested since 2018 (41.0 quintals).
Winter wheat took 69.5 % of all harvested grain (69.0 % in 2022). As the area of winter wheat reduced by 7.0 thousand hectares or 1.6 %, the average yield thereof from one hectare reduced as well – by 14.4 % (from 49.9 quintals in 2022 to 42.7 quintals in 2023). The harvested production of winter wheat reached just 1.9 million tonnes, which is 352.8 thousand tonnes or 15.8 % fewer than a year ago.
Harvested production and average yield of agricultural crops
| Harvested production, thousand tonnes | Average yield, quintals per hectare | ||||
2022 | 20231 | Change, % | 2022 | 20231 | Change, % | |
Cereals | 3 243.7 | 2715.9 | -16.3 | 41.6 | 34.1 | -18.1 |
winter cereals | 2 492.0 | 2 101.8 | -15.7 | 48.7 | 41.3 | -15.2 |
wheat | 2 239.7 | 1 886.9 | -15.8 | 49.9 | 42.7 | -14.4 |
rye | 129.0 | 104.4 | -19.1 | 36.5 | 31.0 | -15.1 |
barley | 99.5 | 93.7 | -5.8 | 48.2 | 34.7 | -28.0 |
triticale | 23.8 | 16.8 | -29.6 | 34.2 | 26.7 | -21.9 |
spring cereals | 751.7 | 614.0 | -18.3 | 28.0 | 21.3 | -24.0 |
wheat | 299.7 | 249.9 | -16.6 | 33.3 | 24.8 | -25.5 |
barley | 182.1 | 139.2 | -23.6 | 32.1 | 23.1 | -28.0 |
oats | 224.5 | 200.3 | -10.8 | 26.9 | 20.5 | -23.8 |
buckwheat | 25.3 | 19.3 | -23.7 | 8.7 | 7.0 | -19.5 |
Rape seeds | 354.9 | 349.5 | -1.5 | 22.1 | 23.1 | 4.5 |
Potatoes | 246.7 | 258.1 | 4.6 | 166.1 | 184.4 | 11.0 |
Vegetables | 115.5 | 111.0 | -3.9 | 157.2 | 164.0 | 4.3 |
Irrespective of the fact that the area of spring cereals grew by 20.2 thousand hectares or 7.5 % in 2023, the average yield thereof from one hectare reduced by 24 % (from 28.0 quintals in 2022 to 21.3 quintals in 2023), being the lowest harvested production of spring cereals since 2010 (19.9 quintals). Compared to the year before, the harvested production of spring cereals fell by 137.7 thousand tonnes or 18.3 % (mainly due to a lower harvested production of wheat and barley (drop of 49.8 thousand tonnes or 16.6 % and 42.9 thousand tonnes or 23.6 %, respectively).
Sown area of agricultural crops
(thousand hectares)
| 2022 | 20231 | Change, % |
Total sown area | 1 302.4 | 1 303.2 | 0.1 |
Cereals | 780.1 | 797.4 | 2.2 |
winter cereals | 511.8 | 508.9 | -0.6 |
wheat | 448.9 | 441.9 | -1.6 |
rye | 35.3 | 33.7 | -4.6 |
barley | 20.6 | 27.0 | 30.9 |
triticale | 7.0 | 6.3 | -9.8 |
spring cereals | 268.3 | 288.5 | 7.5 |
wheat | 90.1 | 100.8 | 11.8 |
barley | 56.6 | 60.2 | 6.4 |
oats | 83.4 | 97.7 | 17.2 |
buckwheat | 29.0 | 27.6 | -4.9 |
Rape | 160.3 | 151.2 | -5.7 |
Potatoes | 14.9 | 14.0 | -5.7 |
Vegetables (in open field) | 6.5 | 6.1 | -6.1 |
3.1 % less grain purchased in 2023; average purchase price down by 27.3 %
Last year, a total of 2 677.2 thousand tonnes of grain were purchased, which is 85.6 thousand tonnes or 3.1 % fewer than a year ago. The average purchase price of grain fell significantly – from EUR 286.59 per tonne in 2022 to EUR 208.39 per tonne in 2023.
Wheat took 84.8 % of the grain purchased (85.0 % in 2022), of which 71.7 % met the food quality requirements (74.7 % in 2022). The share of food rye in the total volume of rye purchased dropped slightly – from 77.7 % in 2022 to 66.2 % in 2023.
Harvested production of rape seeds down by 1.5 %
As the total area of rape reduced by 5.7 % in 2023, the harvested production of rape seeds fell by 5.4 thousand tonnes or 1.5 %. Even though the average yield of winter rape from one hectare dropped from 23.1 quintals in 2022 to 22.7 quintals in 2023, the harvested production of rape seeds, along with a larger winter rape areas (up by 1.8 thousand hectares or 1.3 %), increased by 12.6 thousand tonnes or 3.9 % in 2023.
The overall downturn in the harvested rape seeds was caused by smaller spring rape areas (down by 10.9 thousand hectares or 51.7 %) and lower yield from one hectare (down by 18.0 quintals or 54.5 %).
Areas of potatoes and vegetables in open field keep getting smaller
The area of potato plantations has diminished significantly over the past 13 years – from 30.1 thousand hectares in 2010 to 14.0 thousand hectares in 2023. In 2023, a total of 258.1 thousand tonnes of potatoes were harvested, which is 11.4 thousand tonnes or 4.6 % more than a year ago. The average yield of potatoes from one hectare grew by 18.3 quintals or 11.0 % and reached 184 quintals, which is the highest yield in the past three years (208 quintals in 2020).
Last year, a total of 111.0 thousand tonnes of vegetables were produced (including in greenhouses), which is 4.5 thousand tonnes or 3.9 % fewer than in 2022. The production of vegetables in greenhouses reduced by 2.1 thousand tonnes or 2.1 %. Irrespective of a higher yield of open-field vegetables from one hectare (up by 6.8 quintals or 4.3 %), the harvested production thereof fell by 4.5 thousand tonnes or 3.9 %.
Methodological information
1 Provisional data
Media requests:
Communication Section
E-mail: media@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 27880666
More information on data:
Rita Žagare
Agricultural Statistics Section
E-mail: Rita.Zagare@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366728
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