Although winter oilseed rape appears to have yielded surprisingly highly, with yields up 10 per cent on the five year average and the harvest 20 per cent complete, the picture painted of the winter barley harvest is not so positive.

The latest HGCA figures show that on Tuesday the harvest was 30 per cent complete, mostly in the South-East, East and Yorkshire, but that the average yield is currently estimated at between 5.6 to 6.0 tonnes per hectare, down 10 per cent on the five year average of 6.5t/ha.

The HGCA said “Yields vary from 4.0-7.0 t/ha on light land but are often higher on heavier land. Early specific weights are good, although some grain nitrogen levels are high in malting samples. Screening levels are variable ranging from 1-6 per cent.”

In the East, heavy rains meant the harvest was slow to start, but has reportedly been catching up, whereas in the West of the country, where the preceding week was drier, crops dried out much quicker and farmers were able to start harvesting earlier.

Although the current estimates suggest that winter barley has been affected by the spring drought, crops on heavier, more moisture retentive land have farerd much better, with yield of up to 9.0t/ha being reported. Uneven ripening of some crops saw an increased use of pre-harvest glyphosate applications to even up ripening and reduce the proportion of green immature grains.