Here are the top 10 crops for next year's field plan.
Økologisk NuFrom: Kristoffer Hannibal, Junior Crop Advisor, Organic Advisory Denmark Poul Christensen, Crop Advisor, Organic Advisory Denmark Falling prices for several cereal crops combined with fluctuating yields in recent years place high demands on the planning of the 2027 crop rotation. Especially oats and rye are under pressure with low price levels, which means that these crops in many cases generate significantly lower earnings compared to alternative crops. The 2027 crop plan should therefore be robust and based on a thorough assessment of the opportunities on each farm. Each individual field should be reviewed to select the crop that offers the best combination of stability and economy. Experiences from previous years, including the yield levels of the past five years, should actively inform the decision-making process. For inspiration, an updated top 10 list of organic crops based on gross income at different yield levels and associated subsidies has been prepared. The list shows that the differences between crops have become more pronounced in 2027, with especially legumes and rapeseed maintaining high earning potential, while several cereal crops have fallen back. The top 10 for 2027 continues to be dominated by winter rapeseed, perennial ryegrass, and legumes such as field beans and peas, which can provide high gross income at good yields. Winter wheat and malting barley are positioned as stable intermediate crops with reasonable economics. Lupin remains an interesting option, particularly on suitable soils with low weed pressure, where a reasonable yield can be achieved. Oat and winter rye have moved down to the lower part of the list in 2027. This is primarily due to the low price levels, which significantly reduce their profitability compared to other crops. At the same time, there is no corresponding reduction in cultivation costs, meaning that the economics of these crops quickly become strained at medium or low yields. This does not mean that oats and rye should be completely removed from the crop rotation, but they should be used more as agronomic tools rather than purely profit crops. They can still be valuable for weed control, disease reduction, and crop rotation robustness, but should be given lower priority on the best soils where more profitable crops can be grown. Environmentally and climate-friendly grass (over two years) remains included in the assessment with a relatively low gross income, but also with low cultivation costs and the potential for biogas sales. It is important to emphasize that this assessment focuses solely on gross income. Costs for cultivation, including labor costs, machinery costs, and land rent, are not included and can vary significantly from farm to farm. A robust crop rotation in 2027 should therefore consist of a combination of stable crops that have proven successful and selected high-value crops with the potential for high earnings. At the same time, exposure to crops with low prices—such as oats and rye—should be limited to reduce overall financial risk.
From: Kristoffer Hannibal, Junior Crop Advisor, Organic Advisory Denmark
Poul Christensen, Crop Advisor, Organic Advisory Denmark
Falling prices for several cereal crops combined with fluctuating yields in recent years place great demands on the planning of the crop rotation for 2027.
Especially oats and rye are under pressure with low price levels, which means that these crops in many cases generate significantly lower earnings compared to alternative crops.
The crop plan for 2027 should therefore be robust and based on a thorough assessment of the opportunities on each farm. Each individual field should be reviewed with the aim of selecting the crop that offers the best combination of stability and economy. Experiences from previous years, including the yield levels of the past five years, should actively inform the decision-making process.
For inspiration, here is an updated top 10 list of organic crops based on gross income at different yield levels and associated subsidies. The list shows that the differences between the crops have become more pronounced in 2027, where especially legumes and rapeseed maintain a high earning potential, while several cereal crops have fallen back.
The top 10 for 2027 continues to be dominated by winter rapeseed, ryegrass, and legumes such as field beans and peas, which can provide high gross income at good yields. Winter wheat and malting barley are positioned as stable intermediate crops with reasonable economics. Lupin remains an interesting option, especially on suitable soils with low weed pressure, where a reasonable yield can be achieved.
Grynhavre (spring oats) and winter rye have moved down to the lower part of the list in 2027. This is primarily due to the low price levels, which significantly reduce their profitability compared to other crops. At the same time, there is no corresponding reduction in cultivation costs, meaning that the economics of these crops quickly become strained at medium or low yields.
This does not mean that oats and rye should be completely excluded from crop rotation, but they should be used more as agronomic tools rather than purely profit crops. They can still be valuable for weed control, disease reduction, and crop rotation robustness, but should be given lower priority on the best soils where more profitable crops can be grown.
Environmentally and climate-friendly grass (over two years) remains part of the calculation with a relatively low gross income, but also with low cultivation costs and the possibility of sales to biogas plants.
It is important to emphasize that this assessment focuses solely on gross income. Costs for cultivation, including machinery costs, labor costs, and land rent, are not included and can vary significantly from farm to farm.
A robust crop rotation in 2027 should therefore consist of a combination of stable crops that have proven successful and selected high-value crops with the potential for high earnings. At the same time, exposure to crops with low prices – such as oats and rye – should be limited to reduce overall financial risk.