Harvesting at Wheatrig Farm Haddington

Despite the background of tricky winter conditions and COVID-19 the total area of cereals grown in Scotland this year are very like the 2019 estimates. Across Scotland the results have been mixed but on the whole spring barley and oats have been doing well.

NFU Scotland’s Combinable Crops Chairman, Willie Thomson, who farms at Wheatrig near Longniddry said: “Harvest 2020 has been a frustrating one for many. There are some areas of the country that got a good early run at it while others struggled to get started due to poor weather conditions. Yields vary massively from some excellent wheat and barley to some of the poorest crops cut in living memory, with the wet autumn and winter followed by the dry spring largely to blame.

“A settled period of dry conditions is what everyone wants which gives us time to harvest spring planted crops and sow new ones.

“Forward prices for 2021 are giving growers confidence, but we are aware that these crops will be sold into the post-Brexit marketplace and that brings uncertainty.”