Split harvest in Scotland
Scotland’s harvest is experiencing something of a North / South divide, with high winds and rain battering the North, while combines dodge the showers further south.
“It was very wet over the long weekend in Aberdeenshire, Morayshire and Inverness, which has done a bit of damage to crops,” said Bruce Ferguson, general manager at Aberdeen Grain.
“There’s been a bit of brackling in quite a lot of the spring barley. We haven’t seen any samples cut since the rain – I think combines might be back on tomorrow (31 August).”
South of Aberdeen, farmers had been combining between the showers, and spring barley yields and quality were generally very good, he said.
“There is a bit of skinning on Concerto, and starting to show up on other varieties now. But nitrogen contents are very good, at 1.3-1.6%.”
Mr Ferguson reckoned farmers in Aberdeen had cut 20% of their spring barley, with those in central Scotland 35% through. “We’re about a week behind.
“But this week, the forecast looks settled, so by the weekend they could have cut 30-35% in Aberdeenshire and 60-70% in central Scotland.”
Farmers were also just starting to get into winter wheat. “Quality looks good, from what we’ve seen so far.”