# UK agricultural harvest decline

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/uk-agricultural-harvest-decline
> Updated: 2026-10-20T00:23:05.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2.

The 2026 UK harvest has concluded with significantly reduced yields for several key crops, driven by extreme temperatures and limited rainfall. Early reports indicated that winter wheat yields were 11% below the five-year average, while spring barley yields fell 17% below that average. 

By late October, data confirmed that England experienced its worst combined cereal and oilseed rape harvest since 1984, with total production dropping to 16.03 million tonnes. While oilseed rape production saw a 43% increase, this was not enough to compensate for sharp declines in other areas, including an 11% drop in barley production and a 29% drop in oat production. These losses have raised concerns regarding food security and agricultural resilience in the United Kingdom.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-20: England records worst cereal and oilseed harvest since 1984

Extreme heat and drought have led to England's worst combined cereal and oilseed rape harvest since 1984, with significant declines in wheat, barley, and oat production.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/england-records-worst-cereal-and-oilseed-harvest-since-1984

### 2026-10-05: UK harvest concludes with disappointing wheat and barley yields

The UK harvest concludes with disappointing yields for winter wheat and spring barley due to weather extremes and reduced arable acreage, despite strong performance in winter oilseed rape.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/uk-harvest-concludes-with-disappointing-wheat-and-barley-yields

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Cite as: UK agricultural harvest decline. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/uk-agricultural-harvest-decline