The NFU's harvest survey is seeking more input from arable farmers across England and Wales following a year blighted by volatile weather.
The survey, which takes just a few minutes to complete, aims to help the union build a detailed database of yields across the country.
It follows a perfect storm of increased input costs and extreme weather, which have both affected harvest progression.
Earlier this year, farmers had to deal with wet weather and flooding combined with high production costs, ongoing market volatility and reduced farm support.
The deadline to complete the survey is 29 September, with the NFU saying the data would help it lobby government for a 'stronger arable sector'.
NFU combinable crops board chair, Jamie Burrows said: “We will be able to evidence how this year’s perfect storm of increased input costs and weather have affected harvest.
“We will take this forward across our lobbying, laying bare the challenges to resilience in the combinable crops sector.”
Mr Burrows said farmers’ experiences were not only important on a national scale but also at a regional level, where variations would tell the story of the disparities across the UK.
“The more regional data we have, the more tailored we can be when taking this information back to MPs and officials and the more relevant a case we can make,” he added.
This survey will only take a few minutes to complete, and should be undertaken once harvest is finished to get the most accurate figures possible.
If harvest is not complete by the survey deadline, the NFU says farmers should provide the average yield realised on the area harvested to date.
The survey will close for responses on 29 September 2024.
How do I complete the survey?
The NFU has provided farmers with some points before completing the survey:
• Yield estimates should be based on dried samples. If this is not possible, adjust to give your best estimate of yield on a 14.5% (approx.) moisture content basis for cereals, 9% for oilseeds and 16% for proteins.
• Areas planted – record the same areas as you entered on your June Census return.
• All figures must be in metric units, (tonnes and hectares).
• To convert to hectares, multiply the area in acres by 0.405.
