Winter barley and OSR harvests now complete
8th August 2025
Yields are improving as the harvest 2025 continues, despite stop-start progress over the last couple of weeks caused by short spells of often heavy rain, according to AHDB’s latest harvest report.
The report that has just been published captured the first 10 percent of the total wheat crop, with yields 11 percent down on the five-year average. With close to half the crop now cut, the yield picture looks more positive (down one percent on average), although this is still highly variable from farm to farm.
The winter barley harvest is now complete, with the final hectares cut this week. Yield is one percent down on the five-year average. Oilseed rape harvest has also finished, with yield averaging its highest since 2011 for the winter-sown crop, at 3.98t/ha. The quality is good, with oil content also extremely high.
Winter wheat and oat harvests are halfway through
The oat harvest was 48 percent complete on 6th August. The early oat yield is back by five percent on average, but this is not representative, as it mainly accounts for winter, while the usual UK average includes spring data, AHDB said.
The winter wheat harvest is 48 percent complete. Yields are 7.66t/ha (one per cent below average). Wheat quality is good – Group 1s averages 13.5 percent protein. Some crops have lower Hagberg Falling Numbers because of recent rains, with moisture ranging from 12.2 percent to 17 percent.
The spring barley harvest is 19 percent complete. Early yields are encouraging; up 21 percent on the five-year average. However, more data is needed to draw precise conclusions, as the areas harvested are mostly in eastern and southern regions, so they are not representative of the UK. Pulses are 13 percent complete.
AHDB confirmed that the fourth harvest 2025 report will be published on Friday 22nd August.
READ MORE: RL winter barley and winter oilseed rape harvest update released
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