The first of this year’s UK winter wheat crop was harvested this week on land farmed by Andrew Tetlow (AET Farm Services) near Cambridge. Average yields of 3.75t per acre at 16.2% moisture were obtained from a crop of Solstice, a Grade 1 milling variety. The fields in question had been sown out at the end of last September and had been sprayed with Roundup ten days prior to harvest.
Andrew Tetlow farms 5,500 acres of wheat and rape in Cambridgeshire. A high proportion of the wheat goes for breakfast cereal production. This is the earliest that winter wheat crops have been harvested in that part of England for a number of years and reflects the very hot and dry weather conditions that have impacted on that part of the world over recent weeks.
The crop was harvested using a Class Tucano combine with the company’s CEO for the UK and Ireland, Trevor Tyrell, on hand to witness the event. “Claas is primed for future growth in a truly international context,” he told Agriland.
“Our aim is to become a global business and this will be achieved on the back of a commitment to new product development.
“Up to this pint we have not done that much business in countries such as Brazil and China. However, this is fast changing. For example, we have recently secured a majority shareholding in the Jinyee company, a leading Chinese agri-engineering business. This will give us a key foothold in one of the world’s fastest growing markets for farm machinery
“We are also investing again in Russia,” he said.
Asked if Claas is concerned about the possible impact of the recent downturn in global cereal prices, Trevor Tyrrell said:
“Our investments are always long-term in nature. The fundamentals of the international agri-food economy remain very sound. World population growth will be maintained at current levels for the next three decades. Meanwhile the standard of living in countries such as China will continue to improve significantly.”
