Derek Lamplough said there was probably around 30 to 40% of winter wheat still remaining to be cut in the Yorkshire Wolds, although finished his own harvest a few days ago.

“Last time we spoke it was all going well, but then the weather disrupted things, and the nice, dry crops with high quality fell back.”

He said yields were good and above the five-year average. A merchant had told him yields were variable although had seen some extremely good ones. He was “highly satisfied” with his own crops, but said quality had deteriorated badly on crops left to be cut.

“No quality will be left. You just have to catch it when you can.”

He grew Robigus and Nijinsky this year, but planned to drop Nijinsky as it was very prone to sprouting and shedding in the bad weather. “Nijinsky was going well when we last spoke, but then it got caught in the rain. Some was laid on the floor so I’m very wary of it.”

Sprouting was beginning to be a problem for remaining wheat in the area. He found some in his last field.

Mr Lamplough still had a small amount of Cocktail spring barley to cut but thought quality would be poor since there was evidence of sprouting.

“It was not ripe when the weather broke so we thought it best to get the wheat in. It was for malting but it has lost quality now.”

He hoped to cut the last of the Cocktail today (30 August).