date:Feb 28, 2014
ld and a six per cent increase in the area cut.
In terms of winter crops, the DARD survey noted the area of cereal crops in the ground at 1 December 2013 is estimated at 17,000 hectares, a 21 per cent increase compared with 2012.
This sees a return to more normal levels of sowing after two bad seasons when wet autumn weather delayed harvesting and hindered planting across Northern Ireland. Winter barley, at 7,900 ha is at a level similar to previous highs for the crop recorded in 2009 and 2010