He’s started by combining approximately 12 ha (30 acres) out of a total 700 ha (1,730 acres) on the 1010 ha (2,500 acre) farm near Horton, near Windsor in Bucks.

According to the yield monitors on his two Massey Ferguson combines he was getting between 7-8 t/ha (2.83-3.24 t/acre) while moisture content was around 13.9%.

“We were shocked it was so dry,” said Mr Rayner.

“We’re saving on costs because we don’t have to dry it when it gets to the store.

“The yield was ok but we would have preferred it to be closer to 10 t/ha, but we don’t expect miracles.”

Mr Rayner said the crop had a lot of straw and that grain sizes were a bit on the small size, saying it was due to the dry June earlier this year.

He’s already sold the straw off to the local pig and dairy farmers in the area.

Mr Rayner was hoping that with such an early harvest he would get into the early markets and get a premium price for his crop.

However the early markets are “as dead as a door nail”.

“But it’s still good to get going and get some cash flow,” said Mr Rayner.

But the oilseed rape harvest has been “awful” for Mr Rayner.

“We originally had 500 acres (200ha), but only 100 (40ha) survived.”

Disappointedly for Mr Rayner the rape came in at less than 1 t/acre (2.47 t/ha).

“With the benefit of hindsight we should have ripped it all out.”

Mr Rayner replanted the land with beans which he says “are now nice and flat”.