Increase in winter and spring cereal production
Final harvest estimate 2022
Thanks to optimal growing conditions, 2022 is marked by an increase in production of winter and spring cereals (+15.3%). However, due to too dry climate conditions, the yields of green maize and potatoes have decreased in 2022 (-13% and -9.6%).
Good yields for grains, poor yields for potatoes and maize
Grain yields in 2022 were better than in 2021. The growing season for grains, as well as its harvest, has been very good due to optimal growing conditions in 2022. Winter cereal yields were much higher than normal (+15% for winter wheat and +3% for winter barley). As more winter barley was sown, production actually increased by +20% in 2022. The yield increase in spring cereals was less pronounced than that of winter cereals but, because much more spring cereals were sown due to favourable grain prices, production increased by +96% for spring barley and +108% for spring wheat.
For maize, in turn, it was too dry and there is a yield decrease of -21% for grain maize and -10% for green maize. Due to the decrease in area of green maize, production even fell by -13%. Grain maize production ended up at +3% as here too, due to high grain prices, 30.4% more grain maize was sown.
The summer was also too dry for potatoes and they recorded lower yields of -9.6%. The production decrease is slightly smaller than the yield decrease (-7.6%) because slightly more potatoes were planted.
Sugar beets need less water than maize and potatoes and have been able to benefit from dry weather conditions. The yield has increased by +8% and the production by +4% compared to 2021.
Due to the favourable price-making process, 5% more rapeseed was sown in 2022. This combined with favourable yields led to a production increase of +29%.
In the run-up to the new Common Agricultural Policy in January 2023, Europe has launched transitional schemes in 2022, known as eco-schemes. One of these incentives includes the sowing of environment, climate and biodiversity-friendly crops. Annual protein crops namely legumes and mixed cropping of legumes and cereals are eligible for this. These incentives explain the large shifts between the headings ‘other cereals’ (-86% or -19,023 tonnes) and ‘other dry pulses’ (+123% or +23,466 tonnes).
Agricultural data for 2022
- Final estimate of the production of agricultural crops - 2022
- Tab A: Agricultural figures 2022 - Full list of variables - Results for Belgium, the Regions, the provinces, the agricultural regions
- Tab B1: Agricultural figures 2022 - Limited list of variables - Results for the arrondissements, the agricultural regions in the provinces
- Tab B2: Agricultural figures 2022 - Limited list of variables - Agricultural figures per municipality
- Tab C: 2022 - Surface area of crops or number of animals and number of holdings according to classes of utilised agricultural area
- Provisional agricultural results May 2022
Agricultural data for 2021
- Final estimate of the production of agricultural crops - 2021
- Tab A: Agricultural figures 2021 - Full list of variables - Results for Belgium, the Regions, the provinces, the agricultural regions
- Tab B1: Agricultural figures 2021 - Limited list of variables - Results for the arrondissements, the agricultural regions in the provinces
- Tab B2: Agricultural figures 2021 - Limited list of variables - Agricultural figures per municipality
- Tab C: 2021 - Surface area of crops or number of animals and number of holdings according to classes of utilised agricultural area
- Provisional agricultural results May 2021
Agricultural data for 2020
- Final estimate of the production of agricultural crops - 2020
- Tab A: Agricultural figures 2020 - Full list of variables - Results for Belgium, the Regions, the provinces, the agricultural regions (phase 2)
- Tab B1: Agricultural figures 2020 - Limited list of variables - Results for the arrondissements, the agricultural regions in the provinces
- Tab B2: Agricultural figures 2020 - Limited list of variables - Agricultural figures per municipality
- Tab C: 2020 - Surface area of crops or number of animals and number of holdings according to classes of utilised agricultural area
- Provisional agricultural results May 2020
Agricultural data for 2019
- Final estimate of the production of agricultural crops - 2019
- Tab A: Agricultural figures 2019 - Full list of variables - Results for Belgium, the Regions, the provinces, the agricultural regions
- Tab B1: Agricultural figures 2019 - Limited list of variables - Results for the arrondissements, the agricultural regions in the provinces
- Tab B2: Agricultural figures 2019 - Limited list of variables - Agricultural figures per municipality
- Tab C: 2019 - Surface area of crops or number of animals and number of holdings according to classes of utilised agricultural area
- Provisional agricultural results May 2019
Agricultural data for 2018
- Final Estimate of the production of agricultural crops - 2018
- Tab A: Agricultural figures 2018 - Full list of variables - Results for Belgium, the Regions, the provinces, the agricultural regions
- Tab B1: Agricultural figures 2018 - Limited list of variables - Results for the arrondissements, the agricultural regions in the provinces
- Tab B2: Agricultural figures 2018 - Limited list of variables - Agricultural figures per municipality
- Tab C: 2018 - Surface area of crops or number of animals and number of holdings according to classes of utilised agricultural area
Survey on certain species of fruit trees 2017
Agricultural data for 2017
- Final estimate of the production of agricultural crops – 2017
- Tab A: Agricultural figures 2017 - Full list of variables - Results for Belgium, the Regions, the provinces, the agricultural regions
- Tab B1: Agricultural figures 2017 - Limited list of variables - Results for the arrondissements, the agricultural regions in the provinces
- Tab B2: Agricultural figures 2017 - Limited list of variables - Agricultural figures per municipality
- Tab C: 2017 - Surface area of crops or number of animals and number of holdings according to classes of utilised agricultural area
Agricultural data for 2016
- Final estimate of the production of agricultural crops – 2016
- Tab A: Agricultural figures 2016 - Full list of variables - Results for Belgium, the Regions, the provinces, the agricultural regions
- Tab B1: Agricultural figures 2016 - Limited list of variables - Results for the arrondissements, the agricultural regions in the provinces
- Tab B2: Agricultural figures 2016 - Limited list of variables - Agricultural figures per municipality
- Tab C: 2016 - Surface area of crops or number of animals and number of holdings according to classes of utilised agricultural area
Agricultural data for 2015
- Tab A: Agricultural figures 2015 - Full list of variables - Results for Belgium, the Regions, the provinces, the agricultural regions
- Tab B1: Agricultural figures 2015 - Limited list of variables - Results for the arrondissements, the agricultural regions in the provinces
- Tab B2: Agricultural figures 2015 - Limited list of variables - Agricultural figures per municipality
- Tab C: 2015 - Surface area of crops or number of animals and number of holdings according to classes of utilised agricultural area
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.
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.