E-Malt.com News article: UK: Winter barley harvest 60% complete with average yields, spring barley harvest just started

Harvest progress between 1-7 August has been interrupted by regular, often heavy showers, according to the latest report from ADAS. These have reduced harvesting time on affected farms with some only managing to harvest for a couple of hours on 2-3 days, whilst those that missed the worst of the showers were able to harvest for up to 10 hour on as many as 5 days.

The main harvest activity has focused on oilseed rape which dried quicker after showers, but modest areas of winter barley were also harvested and the first farmers in the south have started on early wheat varieties, spring barley and winter oats. Early yields on winter barley and oilseed rape are close to average. Concerns remain over the impact of fusarium on yields and quality of wheat and other cereals.

Winter barley harvest is nearing 60% complete with only steady progress made over the last 7 days, ADAS reported on August, 8. Winter barley dries more slowly than oilseed rape and therefore farmers have tended to harvest rape in preference. In the South West and South East harvest is almost complete, with good levels of progress made in the East and Midlands. The first winter barley crops have been harvested in Scotland. Harvest progress is 10% behind the latest in recent years.

Winter barley yields remain close to the 5 year average at 6.2-6.4 t/ha, with light land crops performing particularly well compared to normal. Yields currently range from 5-11 t/ha, with occasional poorer yields on fields that have suffered crop death as a result of standing water.

The first crops of spring barley were harvested in the southern most regions of England over the last 7 days. However, only occasional fields were harvested and as a result less than 1% of the UK area has been harvested to date. Progress is well behind the 5 year average, but still in line with the latest recent harvest. It is too early for reliable yield or quality data, ADAS said.


10 August, 2012