2023 saw mixed maturity in cereal fields

Challenging weather conditions in the growing season of 2023 resulted in what is technically known as mixed maturity. In simpler terms, many fields had different generations of cereal crops growing at the same time in various stages of development.

Mixed maturity can make it difficult for the farmer to determine when to harvest. The second generation is often superior to the first, but achieving this requires a sufficiently long growing period to wait for it to mature. Therefore, the farmer must assess whether he has the time to gamble on the second generation. If so, he cannot thresh when the first generation is ripe. Should he choose to focus on the first generation, the immature second generation creates problems during harvest.

In 2023, there was significant variation in the fields, both locally and between regions. We still have no definitive answer on how the season went. Final figures will not be available until later in 2024.

"We received some early predictions in September. At that point, the consequences of the wet autumn began to emerge. The prospects for this year's yield were estimated at 67 percent of last year's, and there was an estimated need to import over 203,000 tons of food grain," says Einar Strand.

It was bad, but it got worse. Persistent and heavy rainfall throughout the autumn resulted in poor quality of both the first and second generations. Additionally, there were fields that either weren't harvested or had such low quality that the produce couldn't be sold.

"In the predictions as of 15 November, they have adjusted down the yields to 57 percent of last year, estimating an import need of over 218,000 tons of food grain. At the same time, the Norwegian Agricultural Agency reports receiving almost 7,500 applications for compensation for crop damage," says Strand.