Wheat harvest is underway in the South East and East Anglia, with early yields and quality proving reasonable.

In Kent, wheat was just starting to be delivered into GH Grain, Wingham, said grain marketing director Charles Roberts.

Quality was good, with the Gallant milling wheat testing at 82kg/hl and 12-13.5% protein.

Guy Smith had also started combining winter wheat at Wigborowick Farm, St Osyth, Essex; his earliest start since 1976.

So far the 4ha (10 acres) of Cordiale had yielded about average, with 11.2% protein, 385 Hagberg and 82kg/hl.

“Quality is good – although ear counts are low the grain size and density is very good. But it’s starting to get that grey, washed out look already, which is worrying.”

Drizzly conditions brought combines to a halt today (26 July) near Aylsham, Norfolk, where farmers had cut about half their winter barley.

Andrew Dewing, chief executive of Dewing Grain, said very few crops were coming into store dry.

“Most are coming in at between 15.3% and 17% moisture – the premiums for malting barley are so good that it would be foolish to wait for perfect weather, because it might not come.”

It was a similar story in Wiltshire, where an unexpected rain shower this morning meant few farmers would be combining today.

Nick Brown, store manager at Wiltshire Grain, said farmers were less than halfway through winter barley and oilseed rape harvest.

Barley yields were about average, and rapeseed yields were better than expected, he said.

“But quality is very variable – nitrogen contents range from 1.57% to 2.3%, and anything in between.”

Further north, harvest was progressing smoothly at Eyton House Farm, Telford, Shropshire, where Bruce Udale was combining oilseed rape.

“It’s all about soil type this year – as you go up and down the fields you can see vast differences on the yield meter.”

Harvest was also underway in North-East England, and early indications were of excellent winter barley yields, said Gary Bright at Tynegrain.

“Harvest only started in earnest this week. So far farmers are pretty happy – the early reports are good and everyone’s keen to get on.”