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UK oats usage is dominated by the oat milling sector which decreased by 10% to 505 thousand tonnes in 2021 compared to 2020, as demand for breakfast cereal foods eased. Use of oats in animal feed increased by 21% to 444 thousand tonnes due to availability and some switching from barley to oats in feed rations (cheaper alternative), Oats have a high fibre content which is useful for ruminant diets and horses but not suitable for poultry. Oat exports decreased from 66 thousand tonnes to 37 thousand tonnes - the majority of UK exports continue to be to EU countries. Imports were 3 thousand tonnes higher in 2021 than in 2020 at 28 thousand tonnes. Straw The year started with another very wet winter, but a period of dry weather allowed soil conditions to become favourable enough for early drillings of carrots, onions and vining peas in late February. Late frosts and freak hailstorms caused a small percentage of salad crops to be lost. Traditional summer conditions began in June; crops such as carrots, brassicas and salads made good growth during the warm weather and showers and caught up some of the delayed growth caused by the prolonged cold in the spring. Areas relate to field areas multiplied by the number of crops in the year and hence differ from those shown in table 2.2.
The 2021 barley harvest decreased by 14% compared to 2020, to a total volume of just under 7 million tonnes.For the pot plant sector, overall production increased again in 2021, through increased estimates for unit value for hydrangea, foliage and ‘other’ plants. Interest in house plants increased, with a shift in production from flowering plants (e.g. orchids) to foliage plants. Demand for barley from the brewing, malting and distilling sector began to recover once Covid-19 related hospitality restrictions were lifted. Usage from the Brewing Malting and Distilling sector increased to 1.8 million tonnes in 2021, an increase of 10% on the 1.6 million tonnes in 2020. Demand for barley from the animal feed sector increased by 7.1% to 5.0 million tonnes in 2021 compared to 2020, with barley significantly increasing its share of the cereal feed ration until the 2021 wheat harvest became available. This increased usage was due to barley being available in greater volumes and competitively priced compared to feed wheat. Wheat prices for 2021 were above 2020 values with prices generally increasing as the year progressed, following the global markets. Feed barley prices also increased and malting barley prices rose as demand from the Brewing Malting and Distilling industry started to increase as Covid restrictions eased. Domestic production of fresh fruit as a percentage of total new supply reduced by 8.3% between 2021 and 2020 to 15%. Data Sources and Revisions Heavy rain and snow in the first three weeks of February 2021 delayed field operations such as planting fruit trees and soft fruit crops. In contrast to recent years, very cold weather during February and the first three weeks of March delayed bud break and the early development of all fruit crops. Consequently, the season was a week to 10 days later than the long-term average and remained that way for the rest of the growing year, including harvest. Regular overnight frosts in April damaged flowering fruit crops and reduced yield potential, as did heavy rain in June.
Further detailed information on vegetables, plant and flowers and fruit statistics can be found in the annual publication Horticultural Statistics. Some of the more detailed commentary in this chapter is based on data in that report that are not presented here. Sugar coming out of the factory in the early part of the year is regarded as being part of production in the previous calendar year. The overall area of pulses in 2021 showed an increase from those seen in 2020 with an increase in both the bean and pea area. Pulses remained a popular crop option due to greening requirements of the Common Agricultural Policy although restrictions on the use of plant protection products on crops grown on Ecological Focus Areas (EFA) and UK exit from the EU may affect the area planted going forward. Pulses are a good source of energy and protein and can be used in the diets of poultry, cattle and pigs as well as aquaculture and pet food. Pulses are also able to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere into the soil.
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