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Dry weather sees stars align for early harvest

WINTER BARLEY: Many farmers have taken advantage of the good conditions. Picture by Sandy McCook.

Combining is in full swing across many parts of the country as farmers take advantage of dry conditions to make an early start on harvest.

Scottish Quality Crops chairman, Andrew Moir from Laurencekirk, has already almost finished cutting his winter barley and, unlike some, he has been relishing this year’s dry season and is optimistic going into the rest of his crops.

“In the north-east, I think we quite like a dry season,” says Andrew.

“It’s nice to be harvesting while it’s dry, but of course, we will need moisture at some point down the line.”

In Fife, John Hutcheson of Leckerstone farm has made a start on harvesting 2,300 acres of land, and reckons the combine was in the field around a week earlier than usual.

“We’re around two-thirds of the way through cutting our winter barley so far,” he said.

He added that the grain has been “almost too dry”, but this hasn’t proven to be a problem.

However, looking ahead to his spring crops, he says moisture is needed to cover for the long dry spells experienced so far this year.

Ian Sands at Belbeggie near Perth has almost finished his winter barley and is concerned about the lack of moisture for crops still to be cut.

He said: “I would say the damage is starting to be done now. Certainly in our area, the shortage of rain is going to affect the spring barley.”

Willie Thomson of Wheatrig Farm, Haddington.

Further south, Willie Thomson, chair of NFU Scotland’s combinable crops committee, is yet to start harvesting in East Lothian and isn’t worried about a lack of moisture for crops still to be harvested.

“I don’t think it will be so much of an issue, as we got rain when we wanted it in spring, although it’s been drier the last couple of months. But I’m quite happy. I think yield potential is looking good this year.”

Amy Geddes, from Wester Braikie, Arbroath, who also sits on the
union’s combinable crops committee, intends to start harvesting next week.

Oilseed rape will be her first crop, and she says that the prolonged dry weather has given her some concern.

“Up until the dry weather, the crops were looking well,” she said.

“I expect it to be around an average yield, but the prolonged dry weather may have had an effect which we’ll find out when we start cutting.”