Harvest is getting slowly underway across southern and eastern England, and yields are proving extremely variable.

Patrick May started combining winter barley at Beech Tree Farm, Westonzoyland, Somerset, on Sunday (3 July), and was pleased with yields so far.

“We delivered our first load of winter barley to store at Cannington Grain on Monday. We have only missed one year in about 15 years as their first delivery of the season by tractor and trailer,” he said.

Winter barley yields were also good at Pitney, Somerset, and wheat crops looked better than expected, said contractor Tony Higgins.

He had cut winter barley at 14% moisture, ranging from 8-8.65t/ha (3-3.5t/acre).  “The yields were impressive considering the very dry conditions experienced over the growing season.”

However, at Needham Hall Farm, Gazeley, Suffolk, Flagon winter barley yields were very disappointing, said Mark Turner.

“The yield was rubbish, at just 4.4t/ha (1.8t/acre) – it just died off due to the drought.”

Guy Smith said he expected to start combining oilseed rape at Wigborowick Farm, St Osyth, Essex, on Monday (11 July), and didn’t know how his crops would yield.

“We were on the brink of disaster, but we had three inches of rain in June. I’ve never known a harvest that is so difficult to call.”

In Cambridgeshire, oilseed rape looked well at Brian and Adam Horsfield’s Great Wilbraham Hall Farm, Balsham.

“We should be starting on that next week. It established really well with the subsoiler, and is looking very good.”

An inch of rain today (8 July) meant harvest was also yet to start at Tim Lock’s Houghton Farm, Arundel, Sussex.

“We’d like to be underway, but we’ve now got Monday pencilled in to start on Sequel winter barley, if we get a decent weekend.”

In Dorset, crops looked extremely well at J.V. Farming Ltd, Martinsdown, Dorchester, but harvest was still at least a week away.

“We’ve got nothing to complain about in Dorset, compared to farmers further east,” said operations manager Tim Merry.