date:Dec 20, 2013
bad as originally feared following the wet winter and cold spring, as the sunshine during July greatly improved the situation.
'Suffered due to late drilling'
Defra reduced too its estimates for UK output of barley, oats and rapeseed, but by smaller amounts, reflecting also reductions to area figures.
For rapeseed, the yield of 3.0 tonnes per hectare represents a nine-year low, reflecting the increased proportion in the mix of spring plantings, which is less productive than autumn-sown crop.