Harvest sparks a price drop

Wheat prices have begun their annual harvest-time slide, but compared with most years they remain high and shoots are likely to continue to feel the financial strain of feeding birds right through the season.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board recorded prices of £248 per tonne for feed wheat, the main grain used to feed gamebirds. This is a distinct fall from earlier in the year, when it topped £300 per tonne, but it is still 25% higher than this time last year. Feed costs for shoots have doubled since July 2016.

As harvest progresses, the price is likely to continue to fall. However, uncertainty over the amount of wheat Ukraine will be able to export continues to push up prices and, with much of the harvest taking place early due to the heatwave, yields are unlikely to be high.

Barley dropped in price as harvesting began, but remains expensive compared with previous years. The UK average price is still more than £200 per tonne — a price it had never reached before last winter.

Harvest always leads to a fall in the price of wheat, but the figure is still higher than in previous years