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Fewer spring cereals and more potatoes produced in 2023

Agriculture & fishery
Fewer spring cereals and more potatoes produced in 2023

Final harvest estimate 2023

In 2023, the production of spring wheat and spring barley halved. The number of potatoes harvested rose less than expected, by 12.4%, compared to a year earlier. This is what emerged from the final harvest estimate published by Statbel, the Belgian statistical office.

In 2023, potatoes were planted later than usual but were more than in 2022. The weather conditions in the summer 2023 were ideal for potato growth. A provisional production increase of 28.9% was estimated in October 2023. However, a period of excessive rainfall followed from the autumn onwards, which prevented a lot of plots from being harvested. The final production increase of 12.4% was a lot lower than the original estimate of 28.9%.

Also in the spring 2023, the bad weather conditions hampered the production of spring cereals: most spring cereals were sown later and in lower quantities. The low temperatures made the growing season slow to start, adding to the growth deficit. During the summer months, the growth was favoured by the many hours of sunshine, but the rain at the end of July came too late for the crops that were harvested in the summer. The drop in yields, combined with reduced sowing, meant that the final production of spring wheat and spring barley was less than half that of 2022 (-57.2% and -59.7% respectively). Oat production was down 35.5%.

Less maize was sown in the spring but the rain in late July and early August and the good weather in September ensured good yields. The yield increase led to a production increase of 7.0% for grain maize and 8.9% for green maize.

Due to the good autumn in 2022, more winter cereals were sown. The yield drop was less than that of spring cereals. Combined with the larger areas, better productions were still achieved than in 2022. For instance, there was a small production increase of 1.3% for winter wheat. Winter barley and triticale fared better (+11.1% and +14.6%, respectively). 41.2% more rapeseed was also sown during this period. Despite poor yields, there was still a 24.5% increase in production.

Sugar beet production remained stable in 2023 (+0.1%). The area increase was not enough to compensate for the yield decline. As with potatoes, not all sugar beet could be harvested on time due to excessive rainfall from October 2023 onwards.

Fibre flax production was down 22.2% in 2023. This was due to a 2.3% decrease in area and a 20.4% drop in yield.

In 2023, 2.8% less dried pulses were sown. Production fell by 3.6% due to lower yields. The worst performers were broad and field beans.

Agricultural figures
Content

Agricultural data for 2023

Agricultural data for 2022

Agricultural data for 2021

Agricultural data for 2020

Agricultural data for 2019

Agricultural data for 2018

Survey on certain species of fruit trees 2017

Agricultural data for 2017

Agricultural data for 2016

Agricultural data for 2015

Remarks:

The number of holdings in Belgium that produce for sales has increased by 0.7 %. This is due to more flexibility on the definition of active farmers in 2018, on the one hand, and to a further refinement of Statbel's agricultural register, on the other hand. This results in an increase of the agricultural area and in the number of bovine animals and pigs.

The large increase of the surface area for mixes of leguminous plants in Wallonia is due to the distinction made as of 2018 between mixes of cereals and leguminous plants, on the one hand (classified under other cereals) and mixes of leguminous plants and cereals, on the other hand (classified under mixes of leguminous plants). Until 2017, this division did not exist. The whole surface area was classified under other cereals. This also results in a decrease of the surface area for other cereals in Wallonia.

In 2018, there was a break in the trend for poultry. We can see a large increase. This is because until 2017, holdings did not have to report any poultry when farming was suspended for health reasons. They had to report the number of animals present on 15 October. If the poultry house was empty on that day, they had no animals. From 2018 onwards, holdings with empty poultry houses for health reasons (cleaning or disease outbreak) have to report the number of animals that were present before farming was suspended.

More figures...

 

Remarks:

The number of holdings in Belgium that produce for sales has increased by 0.7 %. This is due to more flexibility on the definition of active farmers in 2018, on the one hand, and to a further refinement of Statbel's agricultural register, on the other hand. This results in an increase of the agricultural area and in the number of bovine animals and pigs.

The large increase of the surface area for mixes of leguminous plants in Wallonia is due to the distinction made as of 2018 between mixes of cereals and leguminous plants, on the one hand (classified under other cereals) and mixes of leguminous plants and cereals, on the other hand (classified under mixes of leguminous plants). Until 2017, this division did not exist. The whole surface area was classified under other cereals. This also results in a decrease of the surface area for other cereals in Wallonia.

In 2018, there was a break in the trend for poultry. We can see a large increase. This is because until 2017, holdings did not have to report any poultry when farming was suspended for health reasons. They had to report the number of animals present on 15 October. If the poultry house was empty on that day, they had no animals. From 2018 onwards, holdings with empty poultry houses for health reasons (cleaning or disease outbreak) have to report the number of animals that were present before farming was suspended.

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