Wet underfoot in the Borders
Neil Thomson has not turned a wheel on the combine since Tuesday (9 August) at Caverton Mill, Kelso, Scotland.
“People were cutting oilseed rape in the area until late on Monday and Tuesday night, but it’s rained ever since then.”
Although it was brighter today, the crops would take a lot of drying out, he said.
Having a shared combine with his neighbour, he had cut oilseed rape on the neighbouring farm, but had not started his own yet.
“Hopefully we’ll get into it this weekend, if it stays bright. It’s not pushing to be cut; we only sprayed it off quite recently, so we’re not panicking yet.”
Mr Thomson finished his Cassia winter barley by the end of July, and yields were better than expected. “I don’t know exactly what it yielded, but it was better than last year.”
Pearl, on his neighbour’s land, had all gone for malting.
“The ground conditions are going to be our next concern; it’s going to be difficult to travel on the land.
“Already people have been investing in heavy ropes to pull their combines out of holes.”
