Rain delays grain harvest in northern Scotland and raises crop loss risks

Persistent September rains have significantly disrupted grain harvesting in northern Scotland. The most difficult situation is in Orkney and Caithness, where large areas of crops remain unharvested.

In Orkney, more than half of the barley crop and most oats are still standing. Waterlogged soils prompted some farmers to delay harvesting in hopes of better conditions, but concerns are now growing that part of the crop may not be harvested at all.

Strong winds are adding to losses by causing lodging and grain shedding. In Caithness, machinery is struggling to operate in saturated fields, while large areas of cereals and straw remain in the field.

Conditions are much better in southern and eastern Scotland, where harvesting is nearly complete in a number of areas and growers are moving on to autumn drilling. In Moray, however, fusarium has reduced the quality of some malting barley, forcing part of the crop into the feed market.

Scotland’s harvest is therefore progressing unevenly: while some regions are wrapping up fieldwork, the north continues to face risks of crop losses and quality deterioration due to excessive rainfall.

Tags: barley, Scotland, oats, weather conditions, harvest, grain