HC Deb 20 March 2002 vol 382 c373W
Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the total amount of sowings of (a) winter wheat and (b) winter barley for the year ending 2001; and what the comparable figures were for 2000. [44103]

Mr. Morley

The December 2001 survey of agriculture results for England were published on 7 March 2002 in DEFRA Statistics News Release 11/02 and are available on the DEFRA website at www.defra.gov.uk. Estimates for the areas of wheat and barley sown by 3 December 2001 are detailed in the table together with comparable figures for December 2000.

thousand hectares
1 December 2000 3 December 2001 percentage change1 December 2001– December 2000
wheat sown by survey date 1,271 1,868 +47.0
Barley sown by survey date 390 486 +24.4
1 Based on unrounded figures.

Note:

1. Includes estimates for minor holdings.

2. For 2000, areas sown by 1 December were affected by poor drilling conditions caused by wet weather.

* Based on unrounded figures