Spring barley yields hit hardest by 2026 drought, says report
© GNP With the UK harvest now largely complete, the devastating cost of the summer drought on crop yields has become clear with an AHDB report showing that spring barley suffered the most, with national yields 17% below the five-year mean.
The final AHDB Harvest Progress report of 2026 also shows disappointing yields for oats and winter wheat, down 14% and 11%, respectively. However, one positive was oilseed rape, which was nearly 20% higher at 4t/ha.
See also: UK oilseed rape crop: Why there’s growing optimism in 2026-27
Helen Plant, AHDB lead analyst, cereals and oilseeds, said that overall 2026 was another highly variable harvest shaped by limited rainfall from spring onwards.
“While yields for wheat, oats and spring barley improved slightly as more crops were harvested in Scotland and northern England, the overall picture remains challenging for many growers.”
She pointed out that average yields only tell part of the story.
“We have seen huge differences between farms, with factors such as soil type, drilling date, previous cropping, local weather conditions and moisture availability all appearing to influence final performance.”
Quality
It’s not just yields that have been affected, Helen said quality has also been highly variable, which will create additional challenges when storing and marketing grain over the coming months.
However, this comes on the back of other poor harvests.
Anthony Hopkins, AHDB director, cereals and oilseeds, said: “This is the second, or in some cases third, successive challenging harvest. At a time of high input costs, arable farmers in the worst-affected areas are really feeling the financial pressure right now”.
UK average crop yields compared with five-year mean
- Wheat – down 11%
- Winter barley – around average
- Spring barley – down 17%
- Oats – down 14%
- Oilseed rape – up 19%
Report key findings
Winter wheat
Average yields from the survey sample stand at 6.9 t/ha, which is about 11% below the national five-year average. Reported yields ranged from 3.9 t/ha to 11.5 t/ha, highlighting the considerable variation seen across the country.
Barley
Winter barley yields were broadly in line with their five-year average at 6.9 t/ha. However, spring barley remains one of the most challenging crops this season, averaging 4.8 t/ha, around 17% below the five-year average.
Oats
Oat yields are 14% below the UK five-year average, at 4.6 t/ha. Both crops showed substantial variation in performance between farms and regions.
Rapeseed
Oilseed rape continues to be the standout performer of Harvest 2026. The average yield from the survey sample reached 4.0 t/ha, about 19% above the UK five-year average. However, even within oilseed rape, significant variation between farms was reported.
