Brief history

Oats are our youngest cereal and originate in southern Europe. Oats first appeared as weeds in other crops. However, it turned out to be so competitive that it began to be cultivated as a crop, which happened sometime around the beginning of our era.

In the Nordic countries, oats began to be cultivated to a greater extent during the 1700s, and the cultivation grew rapidly to reach a peak in the late 1800s. At that time, oats made up about half of the harvested grain.

Where are oats grown?

Oats are grown in all our regions and the Nordic climate is perfect for the oats, which means that Swedish oats have high quality. Today, oats are grown on 7 percent of the arable area. 
 
Every year, about 0.7 million tonnes of oats are harvested in Sweden, which represents about 13 percent of the total grain harvest (calculated on the average for oats and the total harvest over the past five years in Sweden).

Health benefits

Oats have several unique health properties and the composition of oats follows the Nordic nutritional recommendations well. 

Oats contain high levels of beta-glucans, a soluble dietary fiber, which contribute to a more even blood sugar level, lower cholesterol levels, and help keep your stomach in shape. Oats also contain vital amino acids (proteins).