Stuart Fuller-Shapcott’s Sweethope Farm, Kelso, Scotland, is literally under water today, following about 37mm of rain in the past 24 hours.

“The bales are nearly floating down the fields,” he said. “I should think the rest of my malting barley will be failed, and I dread to think what my peas are going to be like.”

Harvest was about halfway through, and Mr Fuller-Shapcott still had half his spring barley, 32ha (80 acres) of winter and spring wheat, and 40ha (100 acres) of peas to cut.

“The peas have been ready for 10 days but we haven’t been able to get near them.”

The 49ha (120 acres) of Publican, Appaloosa, Braemar and Optic that had been combined had proved extremely variable, ranging from 5.5t/ha to 8t/ha (2.2-3.2t/acre).

“It’s purely weather related, and down to the seedbeds it was drilled into.”

Oilseed rape, which was also drilled into horrendous conditions, yielded just 2.5t/ha (1t/acre).

“It’s not as bad as last year – yet. The ground conditions are not too bad – but we’ve got a long way to go.”

Crop: Spring barley
Varieties: Publican, Appaloosa, Braemar and Optic
Area: 49ha (120 acres)
Yield: 5.5-8t/ha (2.2-3.2t/acre)

Crop: Oilseed rape
Yield: 2.5t/ha (1t/acre)