Where was less wheat grown?

In 2000, wheat was grown on 136.688 hectares in the Netherlands. That number has fallen to 17 hectares in 116.449 years. But in which province has wheat declined the most in popularity? Statistics from Statistics Netherlands provide the answer.

The above figures indicate that the cultivated area has decreased by 17 hectares in the past 20.239 years. However, what is striking is that the gross yield per hectare is higher than 17 years ago. It means that work is done more efficiently.

Where is less wheat harvested?
North Brabant shows the largest decrease. This province cultivated an area of ​​2000 hectares in 14.827, of which 2017 hectares are left in 9.382. This is a decrease of 5.431 hectares. If we look at the ratio between winter wheat and spring wheat, we also see a sharp decline. The area of ​​winter wheat fell from 12.818 hectares to 8.970 hectares, a decrease of 3.848 hectares. The acreage of spring wheat fell from 2.009 hectares to 427 hectares, a decrease of 1.582 hectares.

The second place is for Groningen. The cultivated area of ​​wheat here in 2000 amounted to 31.722 hectares (29.019 hectares of winter wheat and 2.703 hectares of spring wheat). In the past 17 years, the cultivated area has decreased to 28.379 hectares; divided into 26.927 hectares of winter wheat and 1.452 hectares of spring wheat. In the period between 2000 and 2017, a decrease of 3.343 hectares took place. The cultivated area of ​​winter wheat fell by 2.092 hectares and the area of ​​spring wheat by 1.251 hectares.

The bronze medal is for Gelderland. Here the wheat acreage in 2017 amounted to 4.817 hectares. This can be subdivided into 4.347 hectares of winter wheat and 470 hectares of spring wheat. However, in 2000 the acreage amounted to 7.553 hectares, of which 6.611 hectares were winter wheat and 941 hectares were spring wheat. This means that the acreage has decreased by 17 hectares in the past 2.736 years. The area of ​​winter wheat cultivated decreased by 2.264 hectares and the area of ​​spring wheat decreased by 471 hectares.

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Zeeland ends up just off the podium. In 2000, this province cultivated an area of ​​28.576 hectares. This can be subdivided into an area of ​​27.063 hectares of winter wheat and 1.512 hectares of spring wheat. In 2017, the wheat acreage decreased to 25.873 hectares, of which 25.004 hectares are winter wheat and 869 hectares are spring wheat. It means that there has been a decrease of 17 hectares in the past 2.703 years. The decrease for the cultivated area of ​​winter wheat came to 2.059 hectares and that for spring wheat at 643 hectares.

Limburg is in fifth place in this top 5. The cultivated area here in 2000 amounted to 8.227 hectares of wheat; divided into 7.181 hectares of winter wheat and 1.046 hectares of spring wheat. In 2017, that fell to 6.004 hectares of wheat, of which 5.698 hectares of winter wheat and 306 hectares of spring wheat. It means that there has been a decrease of 2.223 hectares. For winter wheat this is a decrease of 1.483 hectares and for spring wheat a decrease of 740 hectares.

How much did the harvest decrease?
North Brabant saw the largest decrease in the cultivated area. This also means that this province shows the largest decrease in the harvested area. In 2000 the harvested area was 14.778 hectares; divided into 12.787 hectares of winter wheat and 1.992 hectares of spring wheat. In 2017, that dropped to 9.382 hectares. This can be divided into 8.957 hectares of winter wheat and 425 hectares of spring wheat. It means that 5.396 hectares have been harvested less, of which winter wheat shows a decrease of 3.830 hectares and spring wheat shows a decrease of 1.567 hectares.

Groningen is in second place. The harvested area here in 2000 amounted to 31.674 hectares, of which 28.971 hectares were winter wheat and 2.703 hectares were spring wheat. Some 17 years later, that has dropped to 28.220 hectares; divided into 26.768 hectares of winter wheat and 1.452 hectares of spring wheat. In the past 17 years there has been a decrease of 3.454 hectares. The share of winter wheat decreased by 2.203 hectares and the share of spring wheat by 1.251 hectares.

The third place is for Zeeland. The harvested area there in 2000 amounted to 28.450 hectares, of which 26.938 hectares were winter wheat and 1.512 hectares were spring wheat. In 2017, that number dropped to 25.750 hectares, divided into 24.893 hectares of winter wheat and 857 hectares of spring wheat. It represents a decrease of 2.703 hectares; winter wheat shows a decrease of 2.059 hectares and spring wheat a decrease of 655 hectares.

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Gelderland is in fourth place, which means that it has swapped places with Zeeland. In Gelderland, the harvested area in 2000 amounted to 7.424 hectares; subdivided into 6.483 hectares of winter wheat and 941 hectares of spring wheat. In 2017, that fell to 4.816 hectares, of which 4.346 hectares were winter wheat and 470 hectares were spring wheat. It represents a decrease of 2.736 hectares. For winter wheat this means a decrease of 2.137 hectares and for spring wheat a decrease of 471 hectares.

Limburg is in fifth place. Here the harvested area in 2000 amounted to 8.213 hectares; divided into 7.179 hectares of winter wheat and 1.035 hectares of spring wheat. Some 17 years later, this has fallen to a harvested area of ​​5.915 hectares, of which 5.609 hectares are winter wheat and 306 hectares are spring wheat. This represents a decrease of 2.223 hectares, divided into 1.483 hectares of winter wheat and 740 hectares of spring wheat.

Where did gross revenue increase the fastest?
In North Holland, the gross yield per hectare has increased by 17 tons per hectare in the past 1,3 years, of which 1,4 tons are winter wheat and 0,8 tons are spring wheat. In 2000 this amounted to 8,2 tons per hectare, of which 8,3 tons of winter wheat and 6,7 tons of spring wheat. In 2017, this amounted to 9,5 tons of wheat per hectare, subdivided into 9,7 tons of winter wheat and 7,5 tons of spring wheat.

In North Brabant, Drenthe, Flevoland and South Holland, the gross yield per hectare increased by 1 tonne. The province of North Brabant had a gross yield of 2000 tons per hectare in 8,2, of which 8,4 tons of winter wheat and 6,8 tons of spring wheat. In 2017 this increased to 9,2 tons per hectare, subdivided into 9,4 tons of winter wheat and 5,4 tons of spring wheat. This shows that the gross yield per hectare for spring wheat has decreased.

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In Drenthe, the gross yield per hectare in 2000 was 6,8 tons per hectare, of which 7,1 tons of winter wheat and 6,5 tons of spring wheat. The gross yield in 2017 was 7,8 tons per hectare, subdivided into 8,5 tons for winter wheat and 6,9 tons for spring wheat. Winter wheat shows an increase of 1,4 tons per hectare and spring wheat an increase of 0,4 tons per hectare.

In Flevoland, the gross yield per hectare in 2000 was 8,9 tons per hectare, subdivided into 5,6 tons per hectare for spring wheat and 9,3 tons for winter wheat. Some 17 years later, that has increased to 9,9 tons per hectare, of which 10 tons are winter wheat and 7,4 tons are spring wheat. This is also an increase of 1 tonne. This concerns a decrease of 0,7 tons of winter wheat and 1,8 tons of spring wheat.

In this top 5, South Holland is in fifth place. This province had a gross yield of 2000 tons per hectare in 8,7, of which 8,9 tons of winter wheat and 7,4 tons of spring wheat. In 2017, this fell to 9,7 tons per hectare, subdivided into 9,8 tons of winter wheat and 7,7 tons of spring wheat.

Kimberly Baker

Kimberly Bakker is an all-round editor at Boerenbusiness. She also has an eye for the social media channels of Boerenbusiness.

k.baker @boerenbusiness. Nl

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