Arable fields are being cleared weeks ahead of schedule, with early wheat yields holding up well despite England facing its driest spring since 1893 and record-breaking heat in recent weeks.

Farmers across several regions are reporting “better than expected” early wheat harvest results, especially considering widespread fears of a very poor harvest due to the prolonged dry spell and summer heatwaves.

Hertfordshire arable farmer Eveey Hunter said more than one-third of the wheat crop has already been harvested at the farm, near St Albans – more than 360ha of winter wheat, producing yields of about 7.5t/ha.

See also: Harvest 25: Fastest start to harvest for 19 years, says AHDB

“The quality, protein and hagbergs, haven’t been great due to the dry weather,” she admitted.

“But we cut some Group 1 wheat on better land on Sunday and we’re hoping for some good protein levels there.”

What a WONDERFUL time of the year pic.twitter.com/ea2iyHZsbK

— Eveey Hunter (@farmerevees) July 11, 2025

Ms Hunter said about 100ha of Hear oilseed rape has also been cut, which, if it meets specification, secures a £150/t premium under contract with Cefetra.

The crop has yielded between 2.8/ha and 3t/ha.

Overall, she describes harvest so far at JS Hunter & Sons as “average, but probably better than expected”, noting some crops are ready up to a month earlier than usual.

Sussex start

In East Sussex, farmer Mark Peters cut 30ha of winter wheat on a neighbour’s farm in Lewes on Sunday. 

Mr Peters, who runs mixed farming enterprise AR Peters and Son, said: “We still don’t know exact yields yet, but it’s not been a disaster, for sure.

“Moisture content was 13%; the low humidity and high temperatures just sucked the moisture out of it.

“We’ve been lucky here. We’ve had some decent showers overnight, which really helped the crops.”

Holiday company’s will be wondering why July holidays are being cancelled and rebooked for august! #wheat #harvest pic.twitter.com/I6Qfgp4K2H

— A. R. Peters & Son (@sussexfarming) July 13, 2025

Lincolnshire ‘very dry’

That sentiment is echoed further north, where Harry Barton, who farms more than 2,000ha across Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and Nottinghamshire, reports a mixed picture.

He has already harvested more than 400ha of winter wheat, although yields are 30-40% below the farm’s usual average, coming in below 7.4t/ha.

“It’s incredibly dry here,” Mr Barton said. “We’re harvesting three weeks earlier than normal, cutting about 100ha a day.

“If it doesn’t rain, we’ll be finished by the end of July, which is unprecedented.”

In Wiltshire, David Butler of East Wick Farm, near Marlborough, has made swift harvest progress on his 650ha mixed farm.

“We had a small field fire on 8 July, but thanks to Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue it was contained quickly,” he said.

His winter barley has yielded between 7.7-8.5t/ha, and oilseed rape between 3.5-4.5t/ha – outcomes he describes as “much better than expected”.

Mr Butler attributes the resilience of the rape crop to a thicker canopy and lower flea beetle pressure during the growing season.

Maize crop concerns

Still, he expressed concern for his maize, which started strong but has now struggled under the unrelenting dry conditions.

Maize crop hit by dry weather © David Butler

“The maize has run out of puff,” he said, hoping that forecasted rain might help, though he added it “might not do the wheat quality any good”.

According to the first 2025 harvest report from AHDB, covering progress up to 9 July, about 10% of UK winter barley has already been harvested – well ahead of the five-year average.

Yields have so far been surprisingly strong, averaging 6.9t/ha.

NFU deputy president David Exwood told Farmers Weekly that many growers are reporting a “better than expected” early cereals and oilseeds harvest, despite the dry weather challenges.