Combines have been busy across much of the country today but some crops are already becoming a salvage job.

In Nottinghamshire, Geoffrey Williams had finally started harvest at Birklands Farm, but was struggling with wet conditions.

“The rape has been down in the swath for three weeks, and it’s dreadfully wet in the bottom. It’s difficult to travel, but we’re just having to push on.”

Crops in Cornwall were also starting to suffer from the wet and windy weather, with barley brackled over and oilseed rape ready to shatter.

Jon Bond of Trerule Farm, Trerulefoot, Saltash, said he was desperate to start combining. “It’s all too similar to last year. I’ve never seen so many depressed farmers.”

Further North, Paul Bird was combining rapeseed today in Shropshire, having finished his winter barley.

“It’s plenty wet enough, but what do you do? It’s almost a salvage job and we’ve hardly even started.”

Will Mumford was finishing off winter barley at Agden Hill Farm, Cambridgeshire, today with disappointing yields of 7.2t/ha (2.9t/acre).

But the rape proved much better than expected, averaging almost 4.9t/ha (2t/acre). “I thought the combine’s yield meter was wrong!”

In Kent, Jonathan Tipples was enjoying a fine day, and making a start on his wheat at 16.1-18.7% moisture.

So far the Einstein was disappointing at about 7.4t/ha (3t/acre). “We could have done with a lot more rain in June. There’s nothing more depressing than harvesting drought-ravaged crops in a monsoon.”

Farmers were about 15-20% through harvest in the area, having almost finished winter barley and cut 70-80% of their rape, he added.