England's wheat crop is estimated at around 13.64 million tonnes, down 1.5 percent from the five-year average, the National Farmers Union said on Wednesday. The NFU, issuing preliminary results from its 2011 harvest survey, said yields were below average while the cropping area was 3 percent higher at 1.82 million hectares.
"I believe this year's yield decrease was largely due to tough growing conditions last spring, including one of the lowest ever rainfall levels recorded for the first half of the year across the majority of England," Ian Backhouse, NFU combinable crops chairman, said in a statement. Backhouse said an NFU survey pointed to a large variability in yields.
"Where sufficient rainfall fell in June and July onto later maturing crops, yields have been exceptional," he said. Results for barley and rapeseed have not yet been issued. Further responses are still being gathered with full results for wheat, barley and rapeseed expected to be published at the end of September.