October 22, 2008

The UK 2008 wheat crop quality suffered as a result of wet weather, the Home Grown Cereals Authority said Tuesday (October 21).

In its latest Cereals Quality Survey, the HGCA said UK wheat showed a decrease in quality compared with last month's results, while barley quality remained stable.

"At this stage, Hagberg (a measure of baking quality) and moisture levels appear to have been affected by this summer's rainfall, but the decrease in protein is mainly due to an increase in yields," HGCA economist Icaro Rebolledo said.

The results remain skewed towards the early part of the crop, which did not include the part of the crop affected by the wet weather.

"With approximately 25 percent of sample results still to be analyzed, it will be interesting to see if the same quality remains," said Rebolledo. "This will be an important factor determining availability of milling wheat and malting barley in the 2008/09 season."