‘Almost unheard of’ to have the harvest so early says Yorkshire farmer

Yorkshire farmer Andrew Wilkson, famous for his Christmas tractor displays, says he’s never known finishing the cereal harvest so early.

It’s one of the upsides of the sunny weather.

Andrew has been working to get the crops in at a farm in Burnby, near Pocklington, on the rich East Riding arable land.

The downside to wall to wall sunshine and high temperatures has of course been the risk of fire and equipment overheating.

Andrew told YorkMix Radio: “It’s been exceedingly dry, very dry – and with that comes risks. As you probably know, there’s been a fair few fires with machinery going up.

“But with the dry conditions, harvest is very very easy because you don’t have to plan around the weather. It’s been absolutely brilliant right through the cereal harvest and progression has been literally non-stop.

“I know a lot of surrounding farmers have already finished or are getting very close to the finish.

“This, for the middle of August for this area, I would say it was nearly unheard of.

“I mean, on a normal year you would be finishing in the early days of September and we’re still only in the second week of August so it’s been excellent really.

The farm where Andrew has just finished bringing in the harvest grows winter barley, oilseed rape and winter wheat.

Andrew says it gives farmers a huge helping hand in getting ready for the next year too.

“If you get that cereal harvest out of the way then it puts you on the forward step for your cultivation side as well.

“And you’re not fighting a losing battle, whereas in a wetter year. If you’re delayed in your combining and you’re clearing the straw, you’re then up against it for getting next year’s crops in.

“It has a knock on effect for the next year if you drill your crops late.

“Obviously people that are not in the trade may not really realise how much of a bonus it is when it comes to weather like this for us.”