SOUTH
SOUTH
WHEAT harvest is hanging on longer than hoped in catchy conditions and overall yields may be lower than first thought. Long idle driers have had to be fired up.
"There are some quite big wheat acreages still out there," reports Hants Grain manager Mike Clay. A spokesman for one local non-member estate admits milling potential has been ruined, though overall quality seems to be holding up, says Mr Clay. But intakes at the co-op store suggest yields may be 10-15% down on expectations.
By Monday barometer grower Bill Harbour was no nearer finishing his wheat than he was a week earlier. "We still have about 60 acres to do. We cut a field of beans over the weekend, but wheat was well over 25% moisture."
Punch beans yielded about 6.2t/ha (2.5t/acre) – pleasingly up 0.6t/ha (5cwt/acre) on the farms average. "But they were above 20% moisture."