Suffolk farmers remain upbeat for harvest after hottest June

Next week, some Suffolk growers will be back on their combines bringing in their winter barley as harvest begins.

The Met Office estimates this June was the hottest on record in UK history with average temperatures of 15.8C - 0.9C hotter than the joint previous record of 14.9C in 1940 and 1976.

The UK had 68% of its average rainfall for June, with 52.2mm of rainfall.

But Suffolk farmers - from the far east to far west of the county - said cold north-easterly winds brought down temperatures on their farms, suggesting some spots were hotter than others.

Overall - with some exceptions due to pests and disease or other factors - they are feeling optimistic about their crops at this stage.

Up at Wortham, near Diss, Stephen Rash said June certainly felt like a hot month, but variable weather with recent rains meant the picture so far this year was very different to last year's scorcher, when the UK was hit by an extended July heatwave.

"The crops are looking pretty well all considered. It's now days before we start on the winter barley. The wheats look OK. I'm reasonably optimistic. Everything was drying out this year but we had rain just in time to save the wheat and the field beans."

However, it was a different story for his oilseed rape crop, which has been devastated by two pests - cabbage stem flea beetle and winter stem weevil. These have wiped out 70% of his crop.

"It's not great," he admitted. "We had a good year last year and it was more by luck than judgement and we thought we would crack on this year but it's blown up in our face." 

James Foskett, of Foskett Farms near Woodbridge, said on his farm, which lies close to the sea, the June temperatures were brought down and at times were "really cold".

"It's very different to last year," he said. This year, February was dry with just 3mm of rain but March brought 126mm, making conditions very wet and caused delays in drilling crops. April brought 61mm, May 38mm and June just 23mm - meaning his irrigators were out almost constantly until the recent rains.

"From an irrigation point of view it's been very hard work," he admitted. However, he had not irrigated his cereals, which may not prove to have been the right thing, he said.

He is expecting wheat and rye yields on his light land to be about average. He doesn't grow barley, but predicted it would be a good year for the crop. He was fairly happy with his salad potato crop.

Maris Pipers would be harvested this week and next would be his Marfona potatoes. Potato prices are currently quite firm, and 85% of his crop was contracted. He was expecting to make reasonable money from the remainder.

"We have been lifting spuds since the first week of June," he said. "Crops are not too bad. Because of the cold weather some of the canopies have given up where they have been under fleece."

Onions are his biggest issue, having had problems getting them sown in the very wet and cold spring.

"We had a reasonable yield last year but this year I reckon we are going to be 20% down on our yields. I think it's pretty general. I think onion prices might be very firm again this year."

His organic carrot, beetroot and green bean crops were looking good, he said.

"Nobody know what the cereals are going to do until the combines go in but I'm hoping for an average or above average year on cereals," he said.

However, price was an issue - against a backdrop of very high costs this year. Fertiliser was £650-800/t. It has come down from that high to around £350/t but too late for this year.

"The wheat prices have dropped £100/t - that's a 40% drop. If you have got wheat in the shed today, that £165/t for feed wheat and for November, £185/t."

However, overall he is optimistic for this year. Sugar beet isn't as far forward as he would like but that was due to late drilling. 

Out west, Andrew Blenkiron of the Euston Estate, near Thetford, said in East Anglia a cold or cool east wind kept down temperatures in June, and it followed a wet, cold spring in March and April.

For those on heavier land, he suspected crops weren't badly affected although on lighter land like his crops did feel the effects.

Although not ideal, the June temperatures and two and a half inches of rain over the last fortnight had brought on the spring crops, he said.

"It's a reasonably average weather pattern," he said. "If someone has been picking up that cool wind off the sea the crops have not been experiencing those very high temperatures."

His sugar beet did start to flag in the heat of the third week in June but rain arrived just in time.

"Certainly our winter barley looks as though it's going to be a good year. Winter wheat it's probably going to be slightly below average because we have got a lot of light land wheat affected by those four weeks with no rain."

Mark McCarthy of the Met Office said June started with a good deal of high pressure but that was replaced by warm, humid air, with 32.2C the highest temperatures reached.

"What's striking is the persistent warmth for much of the month, with temperatures widely into the mid-20s Celsius for many and even into the low 30s at times."

In contrast with last year's scorching July, this month is likely to be much more unsettled, according to the Met Office.

It is predicting scattered showers throughout the UK, some strong winds and some thunderstorms as well as sunny spells.

Prolonged spells of wet weather are possible and rainfall may be slightly above average mid-month - although that will vary widely, it said.

Temperatures are generally expected to be close to normal for the time of year, possibly feeling cool to rather cool in wet or windy areas.