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England has faced a challenging harvest season this year, with the second worst harvest on record due to unprecedented wet weather impacting crop yields and quality. According to the latest Defra figures, this year’s cereal and oilseed production in England is the smallest since 2020, with heavy rain and flooding causing disruptions in the autumn and spring. The wet weather in July and August further affected harvesting progress in some English regions.

Concerns are now mounting for the 2025 harvest as many arable farmers have been unable to plant their autumn crops due to excessive rainfall in September. The provisional figures from Defra indicate a 22% decrease in wheat harvest to 10 million tonnes compared to 2023, while winter barley is expected to fall by 26% offset by a 41% increase in spring barley production. Oilseed rape harvest has declined by 33% year on year to 687,000 tonnes.

The challenges faced by the agriculture sector have raised calls for support from the new government to strengthen food security against extreme weather events. Sustainable farming practices and investments in resilience measures are seen as vital for the industry’s future.

In Scotland, a harvest survey conducted by NFU Scotland highlighted mixed results across the region, with variable yields influenced by adverse weather conditions. Concerns over high moisture levels in grain and market price fluctuations have left many Scottish farmers uncertain about the future.

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