Tony Higgins has finished harvest at Middlegate Farm, Langport, Somerset, and yields for all crops are down on last year.

“We are in a rain shadow here – we could see storms going around less than two miles away, but we were lucky and missed them.

“It’s the earliest we’ve finished since 1976, so we can’t complain.”

He cut the last of his wheat on Thursday (19 August), and yields were about 1.2t/ha (0.5t/acre) down on last year, at 7.4t/ha (3t/acre).

“The Claire did better than the Oakley and the Scout – and we won’t be growing Deben again; it is past its sell by date.

“We usually average 8.6t/ha (3.5t/acre) – but we haven’t had the drying costs and prices are better this year.”

Carat winter barley did well at 7.4t/ha (3t/acre), while Castille oilseed rape yielded about average at 3.7t/ha (1.5t/acre).

“The Fuego spring beans were very disappointing – they never had any rain from the moment they went into the ground, and came in at less than 2.5t/ha (1t/acre).”

However, two inches of rain last night (22 August) would help with cultivations. “We needed it, because the ground it just so hard.”

But many people in the area still had hundreds of acres of wheat to cut, and were seeking help from those who had finished, he added.

Crop: Winter wheat
Varieties: Claire, Oakley, Scout and Deben
Yield: 7.4t/ha (3t/acre)

Crop: Winter barley
Variety: Carat
Yield: 7.4t/ha (3t/acre)

Crop: Oilseed rape
Variety: Castille
Yield: 3.7t/ha (1.5t/acre)

Crop: Spring beans
Variety: Fuego
Yield: <2.5t/ha (1t/acre)