Crops - learn about the UK arable sector

The crops sector represents all arable farmers. An arable farmer is a farmer who grows ‘cereal crops’. This includes wheat, barley and oats, which are all harvested using a combine harvester.

Wheat, barley and oats are the most common arable crop. Wheat is the most widely grown arable crop in the UK producing almost 20 million tonnes each year. Wheat is ground into flour, which you will find in a huge range of food, from bread and cakes to biscuits and breakfast cereals. British barley growers produce around 6 million tonnes of barley, which is a key ingredient in beer and whisky, as well as the raw ingredient of malt vinegar. Some arable farmers also grow oilseed rape which is ground into cooking oil.

This depends on the crop and time of year. Most cereals are harvested form the middle of July and run through August, but the weather can have a huge impact on this. A typical cycle for an arable farmer starts in September when the ground is worked and the seeds are sewn. In spring time the crops start to grow rapidly, and fertiliser is applied to give the crops the nutrition they need. Harvest then starts again in July time where the crops are harvested and brought into the grain store.

As well as producing our food, British farmers go to extensive lengths to take care of the countryside. One of the ways they do this is through Integrated Pest Management which combines farming techniques to manage pest, disease and weed pressures.

An example of this is how British oilseed rape producers can protect their crops from cabbage stem flea beetles – by utilising a number of techniques including sheep grazing management.

Mike Hambly, an arable farmer in Cornwall, says: “I think it’s never about just one approach. I select varieties that have a naturally higher disease resistance, rotate my crop, and cultivate the soil, all to limit the requirement to apply plant protection products.”

The UK arable sector is worth £3.66 billion to the UK economy and provides over 100,000 jobs. In the past decade, UK beer exports contributed £500 million to the economy – this is all thanks to the British barley and malt. British barley is also a key ingredient in Scotch whisky which is worth £4.36 billion and equates for 20% of all UK food and drink exports.

Make sure you look out for the Union flag and Red Tractor logo on your packaging when shopping. Weetabix, McVities, Warburtons, Hovis and Nestle are just a few of the brands that you’d recognise that are made of British ingredients. British crops are produced to some of the highest standards in the world and supporting British produce is the best way to help your local farmers.