Suffolk farmer Gerald Godfrey said farms around Beccles were combining yesterday at 19% moisture, although it was too wet for him to cut.  “It is very slow – we just keep getting rain, and there’s talk of it still being wet for the next three days.”

He was 50% of the way through combining about 80ha (200ac) of Claire, Gladiator and Consort winter wheat. Yields were at about the farm average of 10t/ha and bushel weights were good.

“Quality seems good so things are not too bad at the moment, but it does depend on whether this rain goes on.”

Claire did well as a first wheat, but Consort had also been good, he said. None of the crop had been sold as he planned to hold on for the price to go up.

“We thought harvest was going to be early due to the drought, but now it’s not – nature has got a funny way of balancing things up!”

• Crop: Winter wheat
• Area: 80ha
• Variety: Claire, Gladiator and Consort
• Yield: 10t/ha