Send us your views on harvest progress/prospects: Karen.Willmer@rbi.co.uk

BARLEY YIELDS in many southern areas are generally lower than further east and west according to latest reports. And as wheat harvest gets underway a similar pattern is emerging.

Harvest is “complete bedlam” for John Moss in Cornwall as everything was ready to cut at the same time after rain had delayed him for 10 days. He was disappointed with Pearl winter barley yields of 6.75-7t/ha, and both Antonia and Carat didn’t yield as well as he had expected.

Hampshire farmer John Hayward was disappointed with the first 21ha of Soissons winter wheat which yielded 6.25t/ha. It was hit by slugs in the autumn which affected yields, but he expects the remaining 32ha to do better.

But in the east, harvest has gone “almost too well” for Ed Lankfer in Norfolk, with 40ha of winter barley making malting and yielding 7.75t/ha. He was also pleased with 10ha of Castille oilseed rape which yielded 4t/ha and was of good quality.

Cordiale wheat bushel weight of 80kg/hl was very good for Nick Pratt in Norfolk. He was pleased with yields of his wheat and Cocktail spring barley, which had a high bushel weight of 68kg/hl.

In the West, wheat harvest was also underway for Andrew Crow in Shropshire. Riband was yielding 10t/ha at a bushel weight of 75kg/hl, which he said was much better than last year.

Canberra and Caracus oilseed rape yielded 4.13t/ha for Lionel Wells in Banbury which he was very pleased with and said it had all combined easily. He said his wheat was also pretty good and is looking to start cutting next week (w/c Aug 8).

David Roberts in Shropshire said one farm in the area was cutting Gladiator wheat at 9t/ha, which he said was not too bad for a third wheat.

See FWi’s Harvest Highlight section for the regional reports in full and more from around the country, updated every day.