Harvest progress is ahead of last year at Sentry Farming, covering from Scotland to Dorset and much of East Anglia.

As of 20 August harvest was 54% complete, compared to 50% by the same date last year.

Red wheat was 60% done, against just over 20% last year, but last year milling wheat had been finished – this year it was only 60% through.

Just under 40% of feed wheat was in the barn – similar to last year, and pea harvest was well ahead, at 40% cut compared to none last year.

Oilseed rape and winter barley were all finished, and spring barley was nearly 50% done – slightly ahead of last year.

Beans were hardly started, and linseed was about 30% done, said John Barrett at Sentry Farming in Norfolk.

“Yields on most crops are down across the board – peas are the only crop that are yielding better than budgeted.

“Linseed and red wheat yields are the worst, with red wheat at 3t/ha (1.2t/acre) compared to a budget of 4.4t/ha (1.8t/acre).”

However, wheat yields in Norfolk were slightly better than last year, he said. “We are on some particularly heavy land here – anything that’s not on heavy bodied soil is down.”

Spring barley on light land was disappointing, at least 1.2t/ha (0.5t/acre) below normal.

But quality of wheat and barley was excellent so far. “There haven’t been any issues at all.”