Harvest is beginning to spread across the country, with combines now rolling in the North of England and Ireland.

Michael Manners had cut some winter barley at Conicliffe Grange, Staindrop, Darlington, and hoped to start oilseed rape tomorrow (29 July).

“I’m cautiously optimistic. There’s been a bit of winter barley cut around here, but not much rape.”

In Donegal, Ireland, harvest started on Monday at Liam and Stevie Robb’s Drumboy Farm, Newton Dunningham.

“We are just dodging the showers,” said Stevie. “Whenever we want to get going it rains.”

Many farmers were combining winter barley in the area, but nothing else was ready yet. “Harvest progress is about average. The bulk of it will start at the weekend.”

However, in England, winter barley harvest would be almost complete south of the M62 by Friday (30 July), said Jonathan Hoyland, barley trader at Frontier.

“The winter barley has been pleasantly surprising – yields are down on last year, but are probably about on the five-year average.”

With about a third of winter malting barley now tested, 80% was passing below 1.8% nitrogen.

Philip Chamberlain started combining Tipple spring barley at Crowmarsh Battle Farm, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, yesterday (27 July).

“All I’ve seen is a sample of the headland, but it’s not as bad as we had feared it would be. It’s not going to be a special yield, but we weren’t at all optimistic.”

In Kent, oilseed rape yields were slightly below average at David Clark Farms, Lenham, but had also exceeded expectations, given the difficult growing season.

New variety Eiffel topped 4.6t/ha (1.9t/acre), with Excalibur coming in at 3.7-4t/ha (1.5-1.6t/acre), said Jamie Clarke

Wheat would be ready by the end of next week (w/c 2 August).