Any arable farmers on here please?

[Tougherpolicies]

I live in the SE and very concerned at how bone dry the wheat and oats are looking. I've not seen a single combine out harvesting and I live in a pretty rural area. I've opened some of the kernels and they're just dust.

My question is and I hope I'm wrong, but is it not being harvested as the crop is too poor to be worth harvesting? I hope I'm wrong and so feel for all the farmers out there 😢

I’m in Scotland, where we’ve had torrential rain all day, but a quick look at the Farmers Weekly online suggests that harvest in the South and East of England is going well, with most winter barley in. Yields tending to be high, although a bit lower in drier areas. Moisture content is low, so no need to dry, unlike here!

I'm not an arable farmer but the conversations at a farming do last night where there were arable farmers present suggested that people are reasonably happy with things this year. Yields are pretty good and the grain is dry which is generally better than it being moist. I think.

most people seem to be planning to take it a few weeks earlier than usual though.

Oh really? That's a huge relief! It just looks bone white rather than golden. We've had literally no rain for weeks and weeks, things seem to start off very well in the spring too with rain overnight and sun daytime which was perfect. Wonder why no one is harvesting around me yet? Normally our village is busy all day and night with farm machinery.

I'd be interested to hear any more thoughts but that's great to hear if that's the case .

They probably will be very soon!

is there a chance it's a slightly different crop than is usually there which is why it looks different. The war in Ukraine may have prompted a change...

In our village they were not harvesting last week due to combine harvester fires- it was too hot and several caught fire. I think they may be pausing this week as well.

Our wheat (south east) is just about ready and we plan to start harvest this week. Our neighbouring farmer has been combining his barley for a week or so already.

It’s been really bloody hot (stating the obvious!) meaning that you run the risk of harvested grain spoiling unless you’ve cooling equipment in your sheds. You’re not so worried re dry weather in the south east, so I expect they’re just hanging fire until it cools a bit more then they’ll go. Warm + dry = good. Flaming inferno + dry = bad.
Equally, as above, maybe a different crop variety this year?
Overall, generally we’re seeing good yields and a decent crop.
I’m in the south west and we’ve had the combines out a few times but we’ve yet to really get started, albeit we are generally behind the south east every year due to differences in weather conditions etc.

Thanks so much for all your replies! I did wonder if there were concerns about field fires if they started harvesting now but no rain forecast. Good luck to you all with your harvest!

I’m in S Lincolnshire and the farmers have been harvesting for over a week!

What a lovely informative thread.

A really informative watch if you are interested is the Harry's Farm YouTube channel. He has a mixed arable/livestock farm in Oxfordshire and produces videos about monthly updating on what's happening on his farm. The recent ones have been about harvesting barley, wheat and oilseed rape.

I'm also in the SE and thought much the same. We have spring barley in the field behind us and to my uneducated eye it seems ready to harvest. I have heard the combines going up the road though so I know the farmers are out doing their thing.

Our barley and oats are in locally. Just quite a few bales of straw to collect - it's used on the livery yard. I'd say a good yield.

UrsulaPandress

What a lovely informative thread.

I hesitated posting as felt like such an odd question in amongst all the normal chat! 😁

Has the crop you were worried about been picked up yet OP?

it's been very wet where I am all week but I hear the weather has been better elsewhere in the country.