Results from the Scottish Agricultural Census: June 2026
Final results from the 2026 June Agricultural Census on land use, crop areas, livestock and the people working on agricultural holdings. Modular results on cattle housing, technology, feed supplements, and peatlands also included.
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Total cereal area falls below five-year average
In 2026, the total area used to grow cereals and oilseeds was 447,700 hectares, a decrease of 5.4% compared with the five-year average of 473,000 hectares.
The area sown with wheat, barley and oats totalled 396,800 hectares in 2026, a 7.6% decrease compared with the five-year average (429,600 hectares).
Cereals are closely linked to the whisky industry. Both barley and wheat, the two largest crops by land area, are used to make whisky. Of the total area used to grow cereals and oilseeds in 2026, 56% was used for barley and 26% for wheat. This is a smaller proportion of barley compared with the five-year average (62%), and a larger proportion of wheat (22%).
The area used to grow oats increased by 4.2% compared with the five-year average, while the area used to grow oilseeds saw a larger increase of 18%. Other crops, such as rye and triticale, account for a small proportion of the total crop area, amounting to 8,500 hectares in 2026.
Figure 3: Area of cereals and oilseeds, 2016 to 2026. Note some data for 2022 were estimated based on administrative data and results in adjacent years.
Contact
agric.stats@gov.scot