- The UK's 2026 harvest produced disappointing crop yields due to extreme weather conditions, with major cereal crops including wheat, spring barley, and oats falling significantly below historical benchmarks.
- Data from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board reveals national average wheat yields dropped 11 per cent below the five-year average to 6.9 tonnes per hectare, while spring barley and oats fell by 17 per cent and 14 per cent respectively.
- Oilseed rape was the primary exception to the poor harvest performance, with yields averaging 4 tonnes per hectare, which sits roughly 19 per cent above its UK five-year average.
- The report emphasised severe regional variation and degraded crop quality across the country following a dry spring, record heatwaves and widespread drought conditions.
- Industry leaders at the AHDB warned that arable farmers are facing intense financial pressure from consecutive challenging harvests combined with high input costs, creating ongoing storage and marketing issues.
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