The recent few fine days were very welcome, but they were about three weeks too late for tillage crops. The salvage operation is just about completed and losses have been very real. However, quality has been reasonable to good in many situations as much of the damaged or germinated grain did not come through the combine. What has been the grower’s loss may perhaps be of benefit to the merchant.

Moistures were very high initially but they fell reasonably well through the weekend. Some late-maturing crops produced good quality for the time of year. Indeed, there are still a few crops that are not yet mature in the south.

Soakage

Across the west and north, land has eventually begun to soak. In the main, tillage areas appear to have escaped the worst of Monday’s rain and progress continues. Some fields remain unharvested due to trafficability but a reasonable forecast might see these tidied up before the weekend.

Cereal yields have obviously been hammered by the incessant wet with one third to half of the crops beaten into the ground and growing. But, for many, it has been a matter of clearing fields so the production process can start again.

Straw is proving to be much more troublesome to tidy up. In most areas, the straw has already been baled in recently harvested crops but straw rows lying for the past three weeks or so are proving very difficult to dry.

The opportunity for land to soak will be welcome for potato and maize harvesting, as well as straw baling.

  • National Potato Day takes place this Friday 7 October.

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    Catch crops deadline extended