2011 wheat harvest down, but not as bad as feared
This years wheat harvest has not been as bad as first feared, despite this years extremely dry weather, according to results of a NFU members survey.
Preliminary results from the NFUs 2011 harvest survey have revealed yields are below average despite a cropping area up around three per cent to 1.822million hectares. English wheat production for this year is estimated at around 13.636million tonnes, down on the five-year average by 1.5 per cent.
NFU combinable crops chairman Ian Backhouse said: I believe this years yield decrease was largely due to tough growing conditions last spring, including one of the lowest ever rainfall levels recorded for the first half of the year across the majority of England.
Despite higher plantings, production this year is expected to be lower compared to last year due to lower yields. Production will be down on the five-year average by around 189,000tonnes.
Survey responses have pointed to a large variability in yields often linked to soil type and capacity to hold water where a fortunate few benefited from showers of rain this spring. Where sufficient rain fell in June and July onto later maturing crops, yields have been exceptional.
“However, towards the latter part of harvest there was more variability in quality with summer rains preventing many farmers keeping up with ripening crops. Fortunately, much of the quality milling crop was already harvested and dried before exposure to prolonged rainfall.
Mr Backhouse stressed how important CAP support had been for farmers that have struggled through the dry spell:
Many in the eastern regions, where two thirds of Englands wheat is grown, were particularly badly affected by lack of timely rainfall. And for some farmers whose yields were hit most dramatically by the extremes in weather this year, CAP support has been really important. It serves to demonstrate the value of the single farm payment in shielding farmers from the extremes of climate and market volatility.
He also acknowledged the importance of investment in the sector:
Farmers have invested millions in drying to preserve grain quality. The Home Grown Cereals Authority report that wheat quality is very good this year, with a higher proportion expected to achieve full milling specification than for a number of years. Many report crops weighing heavier and high bushel weights are partly compensating for lower volume harvested.
Following a very dry spring and rains disrupting summer harvest in 2011, farmers invested in grain drying to protect quality and overcame a challenging season, he added.
Full UK yield results for wheat, barley and oilseed rape crops are still being gathered by our economics team and will be made available when harvest has progressed further in the North and after the results of UK government planting surveys are published at the end of September.
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- With the almost unprecedented dry period in the spring and fears of significant shortfalls in crop production, the NFU published survey results of farmer estimates of wheat and oilseed yields for England in June. Subsequent rainfall in June contributed to yield potential and limited the already significant damage to crops from becoming worse.
- The NFU Harvest Survey continues until late September and national yield results for wheat barley and oilseed rape will be made available as data is recorded on crops in other parts of the UK, where harvest is less advanced to date.
- This years preliminary yield estimate is 7.5 tonnes per hectare.
Englands five year average cropping area 1.767 million hectares, yield 7.8 tonnes per hectare, production 13.825 million tonnes.
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Press Officer: Nathan Alleyne
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The NFU is the voice of British farming and provides professional representation and services to its farmer and grower members.