The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has corrected the crop area figures which it released in September.

At the time, the figures reported a decrease in the cereal area by 6.4%.

However, a correction in the figures on the CSO’s website today, December 6, revealed the area under Cereals actually increased in 2019 by 2%.

AgriLand revealed anomaly in November

On November 14, AgriLand unveiled an anomaly in figures which it received from the Department of Agriculture and the CSO.

The CSO had reported that 245,000ha were planted to cereals in 2019. This figure was released in September. The department’s provisional figure sent to AgriLand in June was 259,329ha, while the department’s final figure, received by AgriLand in June was 266,343ha (final).

In a statement released this evening the CSO stated: “The statistics on the area under crops in June 2019, published on 18 September 2019, have been revised on foot of corrected raw data.”

261,600ha of cereals were planted in 2018.

Consistent reporting of decrease

The cereal area declined by 40,000ha from 2015 to 2018.

While the issue now looks to be resolved it is important to note that the publishing of a consistent decline in area can negatively impact the sector and when an increase occurs it can have a positive impact on the sector.

Decision making at farm and merchant level can also be affected.