John Best has not had the combine out for weeks at Acton House Farm, Poyntzpass, County Armagh.

And two inches of rain between Saturday and Tuesday (19 August) meant he was unlikely to be on cutting for a day or so more this week.

“Yields have been tremendous – the problem is trying to get them in,” he said. “There is still winter barley to cut round me, and there have been quite a lot of crops under water.”

Mr Best started his oilseed rape on 30 July, and it took two weeks to cut 49ha (120 acres). The Castille and Excalibur both yielded about 4.2t/ha (1.7t/acre).

He now had 142ha (350 acres) of Robigus and Ambrosia winter wheat to cut, which was now starting to sprout, he said.

Crop: Oilseed rape
Varieties: Castille and Excalibur
Area: 49ha (120 acres)
Yield: 4.2t/ha (1.7t/acre)

Crop: Winter wheat
Varieties: Robigus and Ambrosia
Area: 142ha (350 acres)