THIS YEAR will be remembered for Scotland’s fifth wettest summer since records began, and despite the weather having different effects on harvest results across the regions, concerns over sowing next year’s crops into such wet ground conditions are now shared across the board.

NFU Scotland’s combinable crops chairman, Ian Sands, said: “Harvest so far in Perthshire has been very stop-start with the past week being mostly stop. Oil seed rape has yielded well as has the spring barley, and it has been of good quality. l would say it is the best yielding l have ever had.

“I have only cut just over 100 acres of wheat so far but it seems to be yielding well. All in all, harvest is going well but we need the weather to improve or things could end on a bad note.”

Farmers from across the country have shared their different harvest experiences. In the Highlands, Cameron MacIver, of Wester Coltfield, said: “It was a problem getting straw dry enough to bale. For us, it has been an easy harvest but frustrating dodging heavy rain showers.

“But when we could get to it, it was easy to cut and low moisture. Further north, crops have been slow to ripen but good yields when they have.”

Hailing from Inverness-shire, Highland regional manager Ian Wilson, of Tulloch farm, stated his concerns over the sodden ground conditions: “Anything ploughed early is soaked and nowhere near fit to sow. We would normally have 150/200acres of wheat drilled by this stage before shifting to sow winter barley and oats. We have only managed sow oilseed rape so far.”

Moving southwards to Lothian and the Borders, the consensus has been the stop-start nature of the harvest season, with the wet weather meaning straw is still lying awaiting dry weather. Alistair Hodge, of Whitsome, relayed some of his ups and downs of the summer season: “Harvest here in the Merse of Berwickshire is well through. I just have oats left to cut.Winter barley and oilseed rape were above average at 3.75 and 1.95 tonne per acre. Second wheats were poor at 3.25 tonne and first wheats just short of 4 tonne.

"Lack of sun when grain filling probably to blame and lost tiller's in the dry Spring. Hopefully get oats cut later this week weather frustrating as we would like to get on and sow next year's crops.”

Over on the West coast, Ayrshire – a region prone to a wetter climate – has suffered more than other areas because of the unpredictable weather. Regional chairman, Jimmy Ireland, of Feoch Farm, said: “In Ayrshire, harvest is at a complete standstill. Our combine was brought home last Monday and now stands idle in the shed.

"We still have 20 acres of winter wheat to finish and then onto the spring barley. It is raining again now and tomorrow’s forecast is appalling. It’s a good thing I am an optimistic man.”

With moisture levels in the mid-20s in many areas, crops look vulnerable to the wind and rain that are forecast and Scottish farmers across the board are praying for a dry spell to help with drying and to improve prospects of sowing next year’s crops.