The National Farmers’ Union Scotland (NFUS) has indicated that this year’s harvest has varied greatly for farmers in terms of both crop quality and yields, according to the latest NFUS survey.
With harvests just being completed on many farms, and with many more well advanced into their autumn planting stages, the annual survey has highlighted the ongoing impacts that this year’s poor weather conditions have had on harvests throughout the country.
More than 150 growers initially responded to the NFUS survey which has ran consecutively for the last 31 years, however, due to the late and ongoing harvest in some areas, the survey has remained open so that more of a complete picture of this year’s harvest can be gathered.
NFUS’ combinable crops chair, Jack Stevenson, who farms in Banffshire said: “The common theme we heard across Scotland for harvest 2024 was huge variations in yield and quality.
“The data is later sent to the Scottish Government who uses it, alongside additional data from other stakeholders, to forecast early crop estimates for the country. With record rainfall in some areas since October 2023, winter crops suffered almost from the moment they were planted.
“Spring crops have done better even though they were late in the ground. We had decent amounts of sunshine and growth in June and July, and some farmers have had bumper crops of spring barley. “
The average yields recorded so far by respondents to the NFUS harvest survey were:
- Spring barley, 6.29 t/ha;
- Winter barley, 7.26 t/ha;
- Winter wheat, 8.51 t/ha;
- Winter oats, 7.3 t/ha;
- Spring oats, 6.96 t/ha;
- Oilseed rape, 3.45 t/ha;
- Rye, 7.0 t/ha.
Early responses to the harvest survey present a “mixed picture” around Scotland, with the huge variability highlighted by some wheats yielding 6t/ha in some areas while others parts have documented outcomes as high as 11t/ha.
Some respondents have described this year’s growing season and harvest as the toughest in 30 years, due in large part to last year’s wet autumn and winter, which subsequently delayed spring conditions.
This stands in contrast to the farmers who availed of the better weather conditions experienced this autumn to harvest and plant their winter crops.
NFUS
“With record rainfall in some areas since October 2023, winter crops suffered almost from the moment they were planted. Spring crops have done better even though they were late in the ground.
“Early reports of grain analysis across the country indicated a wide variance in quality. Some grain required a lot of drying, with some having moistures as high as 24 per cent. Reports are that there has been quite a lot of barley has met the specification for malting.
“It has not been an easy year for Scottish growers and, when combined with the recent drop in price in the marketplace, many farmers will be asking themselves what to do next.
“We need to build confidence in the sector for the future, so that farmers see a fair return for all the efforts and resources that they put in to producing such high-quality products,” Stevenson added.
