England records worst cereal and oilseed harvest since 1984

England has experienced its worst combined cereal and oilseed rape harvest since 1984, with total production falling to 16.03 million tonnes in 2026. The decline follows a period of extreme heat, prolonged drought, and unusually dry conditions across England and Wales.

Specific crop impacts include an 11% decline in barley production to 3.7 million tonnes and a 29% drop in oat production, reaching its lowest level in 14 years. Winter wheat yields were 11% below the five-year average, while spring barley and oat yields fell by 17% and 14%, respectively. Although oilseed rape production rose by 43% to approximately one million tonnes, the increase was insufficient to offset the overall loss in cereal production.

The poor harvest has prompted concerns regarding agricultural resilience, farm incomes, and food security in the United Kingdom due to increasingly extreme weather patterns.