UK: Hot, dry weather drives an early start to barley harvest season

Farmers across the UK are rolling out their combines earlier than usual, as hot, dry weather drives an early start to the 2025 harvest season, Farmers Weekly reported on June 30.

With crops maturing up to two weeks ahead of schedule, arable growers are seizing the opportunity to begin cutting winter barley – well before the traditional July start.

In Lincolnshire, George Atkinson at Folkingham Farms began combining on Sunday, reporting encouraging yields despite minimal rainfall.

Meanwhile, over in Cambridgeshire, PX Farms kicked off on Friday, with some early barley yields looking better than expected.

Speaking on June 30, Mr Atkinson said the hybrid winter barley harvest had started on Sunday with a 16ha test cut, and that full-scale combining would continue this week.

“We’re 10 days ahead all the way through the season, from spraying to ripening,” he said. “It’s not a big surprise to us, but combining in June still feels strange.”

His crop, the old Syngenta hybrid Belfry, is performing well despite minimal rainfall this year – just 140mm recorded nearby since January.

“It’s like a desert here now, but the barley’s been on the front foot all season,” he added.

Initial results are encouraging, with yields estimated at about 9.2t/ha, and a bushel weight of 69-70kg/hl.

“I can’t quite believe it, the sample doesn’t look that bold to me, but the numbers are solid and it’s coming in dry – what more can we want?” said Atkinson.

All 160ha of winter barley on the farm are grown for feed, with Mr Atkinson noting that current prices are “worryingly low”.

Despite that, he maintains barley’s value in the rotation, helping “get the combine and cultivators going early”.

This year marks the last time for Belfry on the farm. “It’s a bit old hat now, so we’ve ordered Syngenta’s new variety Quantock for next season,” he said.

In a rare twist, Mr Atkinson revealed that variable input costs for barley and wheat have matched this year, due mainly to reduced fungicide use in wheat and high seed costs for hybrid barley.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever seen that,” he said.

Harvesting is a family affair at Folkingham Farms, a partnership between George, his wife Clare, and stepson Harry Fountaine, who leads the combining.

“Harry’s on the combine – it’s all hands on deck now,” Mr Atkinson said.

With more warm, dry weather forecast, he expects to have the barley wrapped up in “two or three days”, but anticipates a break before wheat harvest begins.

Writing on X, farmer Charlotte (@suffolklottie) reports that the barley harvest got under way on Sunday at the family farm in Suffolk, while paying an emotional tribute to her late dad.

“Earliest ever start to harvest here (by nearly a week). Still odd even after 11 years without dad, but every year I watch Tom and feel so proud – dad would be too,” she tweeted.

Charlotte said that winter barley yields of 8.4t/ha were “not bad at all given the lack of rain”.

Just days after hosting thousands of visitors, arable farmer James Peck and the PX Farms team began their winter barley harvest at Scotland Farm, Dry Drayton.

They took an initial cut on Friday 27 June and are now pressing ahead, with hot, dry weather offering ideal conditions for a swift, efficient harvest.