Although there is still wheat to harvest in Scotland, farmers may have to abandon the last of their crops due to dreadful ground conditions and sprouted grains. Having received 100mm of rain every month since April, some fields are too wet underfoot to harvest. image expired

Harsh weather resulting from the low pressure tail-end of Hurricane Katia, which hit Scotland early last week, knocking grains from plants and ruining drilled seeds in Yorkshire, affected growers already frustrated by the slow progress of the harvest.

Scotland is desperately awaiting a window of dry weather long enough to enable progress to be made. The outlook from the Met Office remains bleak; current predictions are for more high winds towards the end of the month and widespread frosts in October.

Progress in Scotland is well behind last year; 35 per cent of the barley crop is still in the ground, compared to just 5 per cent this time in 2010. What is more frustrating for Scottish farmers is that, so far, yields appear to be high and the barley crop of good quality. 70 per cent of the country’s wheat crop has not yet been harvested.