“The weather is on our side,” said Paul Christian from Hertfordshire, having cut 160ha of Soissons winter wheat. It was of a fair quality with average yields.

He said: “If we did 3.25t/ac [8t/ha] then we’d be happy. The crops aren’t on the best soil.”

Two hundred and forty hectares of oilseed rape came in dry or too dry, and yields were about average. Mr Christian said he would not grow Escort again because Astrid had performed well and had a good resistance to stem canker.

He expects this to be an average year, but with a big difference to last year: “It’s been an easier and cheaper harvest.”

• Crop/Variety: Soissons wheat


• Area: 160ha


• Yield: N/A


• Quality: N/A

• Crop/Variety: Astrid and Escort oilseed rape


• Area: 240ha


• Yield: N/A


• Quality: N/A