Cereal area decreased – arable land shifted to green manure grassland and protein crops
According to preliminary data from the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), there were moderate changes in the use of agricultural land in 2026. The area under cereal cultivation decreased significantly, while the cultivation of green manure grassland and protein and oilseed crops increased. Overall, agricultural land use remained stable, with the total area staying at approximately 2.2 million hectares.
The sowing area of cereals decreased by about 70,000 hectares. The reduction was broad and affected all major cereals. The areas of rye and winter wheat declined the most, by over 20 percent. The areas of barley, oats and springwheat decreased more moderately.
Areas of protein and oilseed crops increased
Arable land released from cereal production shifted especially to protein and oilseed crops as well as to green manure grassland. The combined increase in protein and oilseed crops exceeded 20,000 hectares. The area of peas is now larger than ever, exceeding 50,000 hectares. The area of faba beans recovered after a couple of weaker years to nearly 9,000 hectares. “Increasing the cultivation of protein crops supports crop rotation, improves soil nitrogen balance, and boosts domestic protein feed production,” says Senior Statistician Irene Rosokivi from Luke.
The sowing area of oilseed crops increased by nearly 12,000 hectares. Rape in particular expanded, with an increase of over 7,000 hectares, while turnip rape grew by only about 10 percent. Among special crops, the areas of caraway, hemp and coriander increased. The potato cultivation area also rose by 7 percent, especially for starch and industrial potatoes.
Economic factors and crop rotation behind the changes
The decline in cereal area is driven by economic factors and changes in crop rotation. Grain prices have fluctuated in recent years and remained relatively low, weakening profitability. At the same time, input costs have been high. “Cultivation has shifted to crops that fix nitrogen or require fewer purchased inputs, and crop rotations have become more diverse,” Rosokivi explains.
Grasslands remain the largest crop group
Grasslands continued to be the largest crop group, covering more than one-third of the utilised agricultural area.
The total fallow area increased by over 25,000 hectares, mainly due to the rise in green manure grassland. Several factors may explain this growth, including policy incentives, rising costs, and goals related to diversifying crop rotations and improving soil quality.
Together, green manure grassland and nature management fields account for over 80 percent of total fallow land. The area of traditional bare fallow, stubble fallow and green fallow decreased. The share of bare fallow fell to below 2 percent of all fallow land.
