- Less cereal growing in Brandenburg
In Brandenburg, the cultivation of grains continues to decline. While 484,900 hectares were used for grains in 2023, this year farmers and farmwomen in Brandenburg are cultivating grains on only 471,300 hectares. This is according to a press release from the Office of Statistics Berlin-Brandenburg, which refers to the preliminary results of the 2024 land use main survey. According to this, grains are grown on 48 percent of the total 983,300 hectares of arable land in Brandenburg.
Never before since 1991 has so little rye been cultivated
Both wheat and rye, the two main types of grains, have seen decreases of seven and nine percent respectively compared to 2023. Wheat is currently being cultivated on 149,000 hectares and rye on 131,900 hectares. According to the office, this is the lowest amount of rye cultivated in Brandenburg since 1991. Following rye and wheat, barley is cultivated on 111,000 hectares and triticale on 27,700 hectares.
Maize is the most commonly cultivated crop in Brandenburg, with an area of 195,000 hectares. According to the statistics office, different forms of maize are cultivated on 20 percent of the total arable land. In 1991, this was 13 percent.
On the other hand, so-called oil crops are being cultivated less and less. They are grown on 12 percent of the arable land, resulting in a nine percent decrease compared to 2023, to 113,800 hectares. "This decrease is mainly due to the decrease in sunflower and winter rapeseed cultivation by 5,000 and 5,800 hectares respectively," the office explained.
The area for legumes and root crops has slightly increased
According to the data, the cultivation of legumes has increased. They are grown on an area of 31,700 hectares, reaching the level of 2006. Overall, legumes are cultivated on three percent of the arable land. The main legumes in Brandenburg, as in previous years, are peas and sweet lupins.
The share of arable land used for root crops has also increased slightly by one percent. Root crops such as potatoes and sugar beets are cultivated on 16,900 hectares. The sugar beet harvest is on 6,100 hectares, which is the smallest area since 1991, according to the Office of Statistics.
The European Union has expressed concerns over the decreasing grain production in Brandenburg, as this region is a significant contributor to its agricultural market. Due to the decrease, the European Union might need to import more grains from other parts of Europe to maintain its supply.
