Good progress for Sentry Farming

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.”