Harvest Report 2008

Winter barley and oilseed rape is almost complete in England and Wales now, with the last patches of crop being picked up during gaps in the weather. With more showery days forecast in the next week, farmers expect to make limited but gradual progress.

Wheat crops up and down the country are still holding on - most losing their green hue now, with adequate moisture and low disease levels meaning ripening at a slower pace than in the past two exceptionally early years.

Large parts of the country still have areas of very green wheat remaining. With drying grain much more expensive than previous years, due to steep increases in fuel cost, farmers will be hoping for a good long run of dry weather when wheat harvest is fully underway. Where showers have limited harvesting activity a good deal of land work has taken place in preparation for wheat crops following oilseed and barley.

East Anglia

Crops have been slow to ripen and once moving and excellent start was made to harvest. Over the past four or five days growers have made very little progress due to nuisance levels of rain. There are patches of oilseed rape and winter barley left around the region, but these crops are mostly cleared now.

Wheat harvest has begun on lightest soils, but is barely ready in the west of the region where there are areas of very green crop, and quality generally is expected to be holding up for now. Towards the coast most wheat crops are still around five days off and winter oilseed rape and barley are now nearing completion.

East Midlands

Good progress had been made up to Saturday, with half an inch of rain in arable parts of the region bringing harvest to a halt. Most winter barley crops are now complete and small areas of oilseed rape remain to be cut between showers. A good start has been made into oats with yields reported as fair so far. Wheat is only just coming ready and producers anticipate beginning earliest crops by the end of the week, weather permitting. Hand-rubbed wheat samples look clean and bold.

West Midlands

The majority of barley has been now been cut over the past few days with reasonable to good yields reported so far. Showers have not disrupted progress as much as in other regions. Oats are four or five days away from being ready and wheat is quite green, with even second wheat crops two weeks away yet, especially in the West of the region.

South West

Progress has been made with barley and oilseed rape, and most have now completed these crops. Wheat is continuing to ripen and may come fit just before oats in central parts of the region. Crops are wringing wet now and very little wheat has been cut so far but with fine weather a start could be made later this week.

Wales

Winter barley mostly harvested now and oilseed rape crops are 75% complete, but crops are hanging on several more days than 'normal' this season. Sunshine is needed to bring crops on, and wheat is at least two weeks away from being fit to cut.

North East

Most winter barley in the south of the region has been harvested with many farmers having completed the crop. Producers are well underway with oilseed cutting throughout the region, when dry weather allows. The bulk of early wheat crops are around three to four days off in most of Yorkshire and around ten days plus off parts of the region further north.

North West

Almost all winter barley and oilseed rape has now been cut despite rain interruptions. Oats are ripening fast and some crops are likely to be ready late this week while most wheat is still ten days or more away.

South East

The vast majority of winter barley and oilseed rape is now in the barn. Yields for rape and barley have been variable and in most areas of the region reportedly below average for both crops, with other farmers reporting good yields.

Wheat is ripening rapidly now although straw is less ripe than the ears and farmers in many parts of the region are expecting to try earliest crops later this week. Some oats have been harvested on lighter soils with good yields on earliest crops. Some in Hampshire have started on spring barley.