Clive Apps in Romney, Kent was having a very stop-start harvest this year, with heavy localized rain in the area. He said: “Up to one third of an inch of rain could fall in one downpour, but half a mile away they’d still be combining.”

Mr Apps said the oilseed rape took some time to ripen, but was fit to be cut as soon as the rain hit.

He said 60ha of Pollen and Liverpool oilseed rape had been cut on contractor farms in Sussex, yielding 3.75 – 4.1t/ha. Of his own crop, Caracus yielded 3.75t/ha and Expert looked as if it would yield around 3.75 – 4t/ha.

There was a bit more red seed than he would have liked to have seen in the Expert, but since it was the first field to be cut, he was not sure this would be true for other fields.

He added: “It’s generally a reasonable harvest, and yields are up on last year.”

• Crop/Variety: Oilseed rape – Pollen and Liverpool


• Area: 60ha


• Yield: 3.75-4.1t/ha


• Quality: N/A

• Crop/Variety: Oilseed rape – Caracus and Expert


• Area: N/A


• Yield: Caracus – 3.75t/ha, Expert – 3.75-4t/ha


• Quality: N/A