The harvest of 2021 is drawing to a rapid close, with virtually all cereal crops likely to be harvested before the end of this week.

The recent good weather had a big part to play in that, as well as the huge investment in harvesting capacity now on farms.

While some of the last of the spring cereals are down on yield, overall crop performance was good.

Yields

There were some exceptionally high and some poor yields, but most growers had good averages with their best yields normally coming from rotational slots after non-cereal break crops.

Some late spring barley, as well as spring wheat and oats, remains to be harvested.

Yields in the later spring barley crops have dropped back. Spring wheat and oats are currently being harvested and growers are attempting to cut spring beans.

After that, it is only spring rape to precede potato and maize harvesting.

Early reports on spring beans are satisfactory but not exceptional but many crops look very good so perhaps we will see yields rising well above the 2t/ac mark yet.

Rain

With some rain currently forecast for the weekend, there will be a drive to get all remaining crops that are ripe tidied up before then.

Price indications remain strong or even a tad stronger than last week.

International markets are buoyant despite more grain in Europe this year.

Dry wheat and barley are currently trading at or above €245/t and €235/t respectively, which will support green prices above €200/t for barley and €210/t for wheat.