Mixed weather has allowed some farmers to gather remaining crops in over the weekend, while others continue to be thwarted by rain.

Farmers in Aberdeenshire still had 95% of their wheat and 30% of their spring barley left to cut, according to Bruce Ferguson at Aberdeen Grain.

“Quality has held up remarkably well so far. Providing we can get to it we’ll be okay, but the weather is forecast to be very catchy this week.”

In Caithness, Alec Webster’s combine had hardly turned a wheel for a fortnight at Lower Reiss Farm, and there was plenty still to cut in the area.

“It’s just been so wet and windy.” Harvest was about three weeks behind but spring barley and organic oats still looked reasonably well, he said.

In Northern Ireland, Allan Chambers was combining the last 4ha (10 acres) of winter wheat at Tullynaskeagh Farm, Downpatrick, Co. Down, today (20 September).

“It’s been an exceptional harvest. We’ve had our lowest average moisture content ever, at 16%. Usually anything below 20% is a major bonus around here.”

Meurig Raymond finished combining spring beans at Trenewydd Fawr, Haverfordwest, Dyfed, on Saturday, rounding up a fair harvest.

“That’s the earliest we’ve finished for a number of years – and it’s been the easiest harvest for four years. We haven’t had the rainfall they’ve had further east.”

Yields were about 5% down across the board, he said. “And we dried most of the crop because we were combining ahead of the ripening period.”

In Herefordshire Jamie Rogers had also finished harvest, at White Hall Farm, Hampton Bishop, and was pleased with above average yields.

“It’s gone very well – we’re very pleased. The lighter sands near Ross on Wye disappointed, but we had enough rain for the medium soils to excel.”