Harvest is slowly gathering pace, although many crops across the country are still about a week away from ripening.

In Norfolk, Ed Lankfer hoped to be cutting winter barley at Laurel Farm, Wereham, today (11 July), and said yields were better than expected.

“I’ve cut 7ha (17 acres) of Cassia so far – it’s not the biggest crop I’ve ever cut, but it’s in the store, which is a bonus.”

So far it was yielding 5t/ha (2t/acre) at 13.7% moisture. “I’ve heard some really poor yields, so on the whole we’re quite pleased.”

Crops looked very mixed along the Essex / Hertfordshire border, and harvest was still a few days away, according to agronomist Charles Carter.

“On the light land crops did burn out in June, and some people have started cutting winter barley where it’s died off completely. But on heavy land the crops don’t look too bad.”

Winter barley looked extremely well at Colin Keevil’s Chapel Farm, West Knoyle, Wiltshire, but harvest was still about a week away.

“We sprayed off 150 acres (60ha) of oilseed rape eight days ago (3 July), and will probably start cutting it at the end of this week, early next week, subject to the weather.”

Harvest was proving surprisingly late at Berkyn Manor Farm, Horton, Berkshire, with all crops likely to ripen at once.

“We normally start on 30 June or the first week of July; we had pencilled in to start today (11 July), but nothing is ready,” said Colin Rayner.

“We desiccated a neighbour’s winter beans and they might be the first thing to cut.”

Harvest was at least a week away at Giles Porter’s Penn Croft Farms, Farnham, Surrey.

“Generally, the crops aren’t looking too bad. The oilseed rape is looking fairly promising, and the wheat looks surprisingly good, considering the season,” he said.

Further afield in France, harvest had been a stop-start affair, with showers and thunderstorms keeping combines under wraps.

Cereal yields had generally been disappointing, but were proving better in the north, where the drought had less impact.

In Ukraine, wet weather was delaying harvest and affecting quality, with 90% of wheat harvested in Southern Ukraine classified as feed wheat.