Final harvest report confirms cereal yields are below historic averages across the UK

We've published our final harvest progress report of 2026, as harvest draws to a close across the UK.

Harvest is largely complete, with only very small areas of spring barley and oats still to be cut in northern Scotland, and pulses in Northern Ireland.

For much of England and Wales, harvest progressed rapidly, but yields were disappointing, particularly for wheat, spring barley, and oats.

While things slowed as harvest moved north and into Scotland, progress has remained generally well ahead of normal, and coincided with improving yields for wheat, oats and spring barley. However, when averaged across the UK, yields for these crops remain notably below historic levels.

Overall, the final report reinforces a familiar theme from throughout the season: another highly variable harvest shaped by limited rainfall from spring onwards.

While some farms further north have achieved results close to, or above, their long-term averages, the extent of the reductions across the national averages for wheat, spring barley and oats confirms how challenging harvest 2026 has been for the UK.

The winter wheat harvest is now complete. Average yields from the survey sample have edged up to 6.9 t/ha as more crops were harvested in Scotland and northern England, but this remains around 11% below the national five-year average. Reported yields ranged from 3.9 t/ha to 11.5 t/ha, highlighting the considerable variation seen across the country.

Winter barley yields were broadly in line with their five-year average at 6.9 t/ha.

However, spring barley remains one of the most challenging crops this season, averaging 4.8 t/ha, around 17% below the five-year average despite some improvement from late-harvested northern crops.

Oat yields have also improved as harvest progressed in Scotland, reaching 4.6 t/ha, but remain around 14% below the UK five-year average. Both crops showed substantial variation in performance between farms and regions.

Oilseed rape continues to be the standout performer of harvest 2026. The average yield from the survey sample reached 4.0 t/ha, approximately 19% above the UK five-year average. However, even within oilseed rape, significant variation between farms was reported.

Helen Plant, AHDB Lead Analyst, Cereals and Oilseeds, said:

“This final report reinforces just how variable harvest 2026 has been. While yields for wheat, oats and spring barley improved slightly as more crops were harvested in Scotland and northern England, the overall picture remains challenging for many growers.

“Average yields only tell part of the story. We have seen huge differences between farms, with factors such as soil type, drilling date, previous cropping, local weather conditions and moisture availability all appearing to influence final performance.

“Despite some late improvements, average yields for several key crops remain below both recent and longer-term averages. Quality has also been highly variable, which will create additional challenges when storing and marketing grain over the coming months.”

Anthony Hopkins, AHDB Director, Cereals and Oilseeds, said:

“Harvest 2026 is now essentially complete, and we can see just how difficult it has been for farmers across many parts of the UK.

“Although crops harvested further north somewhat helped to moderate the significant reductions in the national average yields, the final report highlights the impact that prolonged dry conditions have had on large numbers of farms.

"The areas and crops with the most significant hit to yields have also often faced the greatest impact on quality, highlighting the importance of not just focussing on yields alone.

“This is the second, or in some cases third, successive challenging harvest. At a time of high input costs, arable farmers in the worst-affected areas are really feeling the financial pressure right now.”

We have produced a Harvest Toolkit for Cereals and Oilseeds, including guidance on grain sampling, storage and contract considerations, to help growers navigate the challenges of this year's harvest.