Farmers are now into the final 5% of harvest, after having combined more than 300,000ha in the week to 9 September, according to the latest HGCA / ADAS report.

“The steady progress over the past two to three weeks brings the tail end of harvest in line with the five-year average,” it said.

“Wheat yields remain above average and overall quality is good, although lower Hagberg Falling Numbers and specific weights have been reported in the past week, as more group three and four varieties were sampled.”

Most cereal crops harvested over the past week had required drying, with typical moistures ranging between 15% and 17%.

Harvest of winter wheat was 95% complete, with those areas still left in Yorkshire and Humber, the East Midlands and Scotland, said the report.

“The current national yield estimate for wheat is 8.4-8.6t/ha, an 8-10% increase on the 10-year average of 7.7t/ha.”

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Specific weights averaged 76kg/hl, with Hagbergs at 257 seconds. “Grain protein remains low (averaging 12%), although there are some higher proteins reported in Scotland where grain protein is estimated to average 13%.”

Spring barley harvest was now 80% complete, said the report, with 95% done in England and Wales and 65% cut in Scotland.

“The estimated average yield is 6-6.3t/ha, which is above the 10-year average of 5.4t/ha. Quality of most samples has been good, although there are signs of a reduction in quality of some later harvested crops in the English region.”

The oat harvest was 90% through, with most winter oats now cut and small areas of spring oats left to cut across the country.

“Yields to date have been good, with the national yield estimated at 5.9-6.1t/ha, which is above the 10-year average of 5.7t/ha,” said the report.

“Overall quality of oats is good, although there are signs that quality is starting to decline in later harvested winter and spring varieties, with winter oats starting to look dull.

“Seed shedding has affected occasional spring oat crops this season, particularly where heavy rainfall delayed harvest progress.”

Lodging had also affected harvest progress in remaining crops, many of which were now over-ripe, it added.