Blankney Farm Update – 17 August 2022

We completed our cereal harvest this year on 15 August – an early end to a dry harvest, with Spring Barley averaging about 10% above our 5 year average yields. However, late drilled Spring Barley on heavy land has fallen off a yield cliff, coming in at 40% below our 5 year average. Spring Beans and Spring Peas are similiarly 30% below our 5 year averages, all of these crops being a victim of our spring and summer drought.

The dry conditions throughout June and July have let to a poor grass and lucerne harvest, putting pressure on the feedstock requirments of our animal feed customers.

As we speak, we’ve had an inch of rain, so we can only be optimistic that our autumn crops and autumn crop establishment will have a more helpful weather pattern!