Strutt & Parker Yield Results | Harvest 2018
Yields were lower than in 2017 for all of the main crops apart from 2nd wheat and winter barley.
At a glance
The average yield of winter wheat for harvest 2018 was 8.5t/ha, 7% lower than in 2017 and 9% lower than the five year average.Spring crops were particularly affected by the drought in May, June and July leading to 2018 yields well below the five year average. The winter barley crop was the least affected by the drought, as the crop was already senescing by the time the drought took hold. Yields were up 5% on 2017 and up 2% of the five year average.
Average yields for 2018
Yields were lower than in 2017 for all of the main crops apart from 2nd wheat and winter barley.
Bottom, average and top yields
We have divided our sample so it is possible to see what the bottom 25% yield is, the average and the top 25% (as well as the minimum and maximum yields).
Yield by soil type
Yields of winter wheat on heavy clay soils averaged 8.6t/ha, which is 8% lower than 2017, and 9% lower than the five-year average.
Yields on medium clay loams averaged 8.4t/ha, 5% lower than in 2017 and 7% lower than the five-year average.
Yields on the lighter chalk loams averaged 9.5t/ha, 5% lower than in 2017 and 7% lower than the five-year average.
For first wheats, yields were 4 – 9% lower than in 2017 and 7 – 11% lower than the five-year average.
Yield by farm type
As in previous years, the data does not show a statistically significant difference in winter wheat yield between in hand farms and Contract Farming Agreements (CFAs).
Many new CFAs are on lower performing farms with the aim of improving yields. The majority of CFAs in our dataset are on their second three-year term, and consequently they are stable, long-term relationships which have enabled the contractor to raise and achieve consistency in yields.
