UK farmers are battling stop-start harvest conditions as heavy rain disrupts progress—but early oilseed rape yields are offering a rare bright spot in an otherwise mixed season.
The second harvest report of 2025 from AHDB, released on 25 July, paints a mixed picture of this year’s UK harvest, with encouraging oilseed rape yields but notable variability in cereals—largely due to recent bouts of heavy and unpredictable rainfall.
The season began swiftly, but progress has stalled in recent days, with the latest slowdown attributed to persistent rain over the weekend of 19–20 July.
In many areas, combining has not resumed since Friday 18 July, and further delays are expected following a fresh band of rain that swept across Northern Ireland, northern England, and Scotland earlier this week.
Some farmers, anticipating more wet weather, have begun cutting crops at higher moisture levels, raising concerns about potential impacts on quality (notably milling wheat) and yields (especially oilseed rape and pulses).
“There’s no clear picture of UK yields at this point,” said Helen Plant, senior cereals analyst at AHDB. “The picture is mixed, with different results across the country. So far, oilseed rape and winter barley yields are encouraging, while early winter wheat yields are below average.
"However, like oats and spring barley, the winter wheat harvest is still in the initial stages. With the weather so changeable, it’s very difficult to predict the final results at this stage.”
Oilseed rape has so far performed strongly, with 54% of the UK crop now harvested. The average yield is estimated at 3.76 tonnes per hectare (t/ha)—21% above the five-year average of 3.11 t/ha.
Quality has also been reported as good, although recent rainfall has led to some early sowing of next year’s crop.
The winter barley harvest is 92% complete, with Scotland and Northern Ireland the only areas still active. While yields have varied significantly—from 29% below to 19% above the five-year average—the national average yield is reported at 6.7 t/ha, in line with the five-year norm.
Grain quality is generally good, though high nitrogen levels—caused by the hot, dry spring and early summer—may prove problematic for some malting barley markets.
Harvesting of winter wheat, oats and spring barley is underway but remains at a relatively early stage, meaning the data is not yet sufficient to estimate the national picture. Early reports suggest disappointing wheat yields, although initial samples show good quality.
The third harvest update from AHDB is scheduled for Friday 8 August, by which time more clarity is expected as harvesting resumes across the UK—weather permitting.
