Planting and Variety Survey

The Planting and Variety Survey provides estimates of the UK wheat, barley, oat and oilseed rape areas for the upcoming harvest. It gives national area estimates and regional breakdowns, plus information on the varieties grown.

The 2026 Planting and Variety Survey provided planted area estimates for the UK.

For the UK

• Oats: The UK oat area is estimated to fall 15% in 2026 to 168 Kha, the lowest area since 2023 (167 Kha).

For GB

• Wheat: The total GB wheat area is estimated at 1,711 Kha, a 3% rise from 2025 and the highest area since 2023 (1,712 Kha)
• Barley: The total area of barley is down 12% compared to last year, at 930 Kha. This would be the lowest GB barley area since 2010. A lower spring barley area drives the fall, though the winter barley area has also declined slightly year-on-year
• Oilseed rape (OSR): The OSR area rises 49% year-on-year to an estimated 358 Kha. While this is a large percentage change, this area would still be below the 390 Kha reported in 2023
• Total cereals: The falls in barley and oat areas outweigh the rise in wheat. As a result, the total GB cereals area declines 4% to 2,807 Kha, the lowest level since 2006
• Cereals and oilseeds combined: The combined area of cereals and oilseeds is marginally (6 Kha) higher than in 2025 due to the expanded oilseed rape area

Data for this survey was collected from 7 April to 15 May 2026. The survey had 1,126 valid responses, which cover approximately 5% of the UK total cereals and oilseeds planted area in 2025. 

This year’s Planting and Variety Survey also asked growers across the UK about their involvement with agri-environment schemes; analysis of this information will follow.

The 2026 AHDB Planting and Variety Survey shows a marked fall in the barley area in Great Britain (GB), with the oat area also down from 2025. The survey also shows larger areas in GB for oilseed rape (OSR) and, to a lesser extent, wheat.

The GB barley area has fallen 12% in 2026 to its lowest level since 2010 and 17% below the five-year (2021-2025) average. Meanwhile, the Scottish barley area is down 13% to its lowest level since the 1960s.

AHDB’s Lead Analyst Helen Plant said:

"The shifts in cropping reflect growers looking for the best options they can find locally in a very challenging environment.

"Growers continue to face considerable challenges to profitability from low cereal prices, low milling and malting premiums, changes to demand for barley, and now rising costs.

"The good conditions for autumn planting may also have factored into decisions, alongside the poorer yields for many spring cereal crops last year."

The brewing, malting and distilling (BMD) sectors have faced considerable challenges over the past couple of seasons.

Demand for alcohol has been hit by the cost of living both at home and globally, with generational and diet-led changes to consumer habits also contributing.

This has had stark knock-on impacts on the demand for malting barley, with the UK BMD sector forecast in 2025/26 to use the least barley on record going back to 1990/91.

The UK oat area also declines under pressure from low prices to 9% below the five-year average.

Meanwhile, the good oilseed rape yields achieved by many growers in 2025, alongside a more favourable margin outlook than cereals, likely encouraged the expansion in area.

However, it’s important to note that while a large percentage change, the 49% rise in oilseed rape area comes from the lowest level in over four decades.

The 2026 GB OSR area is still below that grown in 2023, when higher prices following the start of the war in Ukraine helped the area to rise.

In total, the GB wheat area has risen 3% to 1,711 Kha. This is 1% above the five-year average and close to levels last seen in 2023, when we last had good autumn planting conditions.

Cropping decisions in 2026 were also likely influenced by ongoing commitments to agri-environment schemes and changes to the schemes.

Details of the Sustainable Farming Incentive in Wales were announced last July, while England’s Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) was closed to new entrants in March 2025.

The total area of cereals and oilseeds in GB remains below the five-year average.

The GB wheat area is estimated to return close to 2023 levels when we last had good autumn planting conditions across the country, with a 3% year-on-year rise (Table 1).

However, there is variation across GB.

At 116 Kha, the Scottish wheat area is estimated to be the largest since 1992. It is up 7% from 2025 with similar increases in hectares for both North and South Scotland, likely a reflection of the challenging situation for barley.

In England, the largest increases in area are for the South East (+12%), South West (+7%) and East Midlands (+7%).

Meanwhile, year-on-year declines are noted across the northern regions of England. This is potentially linked to the uncertainty over bioethanol demand when many planting decisions were being made due to the announcement of the US-UK trade deal.

This concern was borne out with UK bioethanol production mothballed for large periods in the 2025/26 season, impacting demand for wheat, especially in the north of England and on the east coast.

Table 1. Wheat area estimates ('000 ha)

In terms of varieties, there are gains for both UK Flour Millers (UKFM) Group 1 and 3 varieties, likely linked to the introduction of new strong-yielding varieties.

Group 1 varieties account for 23% of the 2026 GB wheat area, up four percentage points from last year. The largest gains are seen in the South East and Eastern England, which prior to the past couple of years grew larger areas of Group 1 varieties.

While the higher area of Group 1 varieties could support the availability of wheat suitable for bread-making overall, a lot will still depend on final yields and quality.

A return to average levels of Group 1 wheat meeting typical quality requirements, from the very high proportion last year, could still reduce the availability of wheat suitable for bread-making year-on-year.

Meanwhile, higher fertiliser costs and the negative impact on crop potential from dry weather this spring add to the uncertainty over yields and quality.

The Group 2 area is down 1 percentage point from last year at 16% of the GB area and is the lowest since 2021.

Meanwhile, the share of Group 3 wheat varieties is up for a second year running. Group 3 varieties now account for 12% of the GB area, up from 7% last year and just 2% in 2024.

This is the largest GB area in terms of share and hectares held by Group 3s since 2014. 

Group 4 varieties (combined hard and soft) now account for 44% of the total GB wheat area, down from 53% last year. The change is due to a decline in Group 4 hard varieties, with Group 4 softs holding a stable (5%) share of the GB area.

At 168 Kha, the 2026 UK oat area is down 15% year-on-year and the smallest area since 2023, likely reflecting the pressure on spot oat prices over the past year.

Spring oat varieties account for an estimated 62% of the area, down from 66% in 2025, with a corresponding rise in the share of winter oat varieties. This suggests that spring oats account for more of the nationwide decline in plantings.

The oat area has declined in all areas of the UK (Table 3) except for Northern Ireland and the South East of England, where small increases are reported in hectare terms. The largest falls are in Eastern England (-37%) and Yorkshire & The Humber (-35%).

For the third year running, WPB Isabel is the most prevalent oat variety with 25% of the UK area. It is followed by Mascani at 19%, Merlin at 14% and Canyon at 8% of the total UK area.

Table 3. Oat area estimates ('000 ha)

The OSR area has risen 49% year-on-year to an estimated 358 Kha (Table 4). While this is a large percentage change, this area would still be below the 390 Kha reported in 2023.

Higher prices, good yields in 2025, and industry collaboration to support growing the crop, such as the top 10 Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle management tips, are likely to have encouraged a larger area.

However, anecdotally, confidence remains a limiting factor for some growers. This follows pest pressure and variable crop performance, which strained profitability in multiple years.

The area increases for all countries and regions of GB. The largest increases in area are reported for Yorkshire, The Humber and the East Midlands, followed by Eastern England and Scotland. Meanwhile, the smallest increase is for the South East of England (+10%).

The most widely planted variety is Pi Pinnacle, with 9% of the total, followed closely by Maverick with 8%. 

Other varieties covering more than 5% of the area include Ramses, LG Adeline, LG Armada, LG Adapt and last year’s most widely planted variety, Aurelia.

Table 4. Oilseed rape area estimates ('000 ha)