A Countryfile legend has opened up on difficulties spanning three years and has said that “it’s not looking good”.
Presenter Adam Henson has been starring on the popular BBC programme for a quarter of a century, having initially made his debut back in 2001.
Mr Henson has shared an update from his Bemborough Farm in the Cotswolds following a prolonged spell of dry weather.
The Gloucestershire farmer spoke about the effect the conditions are having on this year’s harvest and the profitability of his business.
According to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), the 2026 harvest is the earliest in at least 20 years, with combines working earlier than usual across much of the UK.
The organisation has also reported that cereal yields are generally below the 10-year average, with some farms experiencing significant reductions.
Mr Henson discussed the situation in a video shared by Cotswold Farm Park.
He said: “Because of the drought and because of our thin soil, the yields may not be that good.”
“Certainly with our winter wheat and our winter barley, we’ve been about a ton, a ton and a half down per hectare on yield.”
“So, that hits us significantly when it comes to the profitability of the farm.”
Mr Henson said reduced yields have coincided with lower grain prices.
He said: “With the reduced yield and global commodity prices being quite low for wheat and barley, although they’re lifting a little bit at the moment, there’s not going to be a lot of profit in growing grain.”
The presenter described harvest as a time when farmers hope to see a return on months of hard work and investment.
He said: “The crops we planted last autumn and spring, we’ve worked hard, we’ve invested in them, we’ve looked after them and now is the time to reap those grains into the shed and hopefully make a profit, but sadly this year it’s not looking good for us and lots of other arable farmers across the UK.”
Mr Henson also gave viewers a look around the farm’s grain store, and revealed around 350 tonnes of barley had been stored.
He added that the farm would ordinarily expect a much larger harvest.
Mr Henson said this year’s difficulties had been compounded by challenging conditions in previous years.
He said: “We’ve had three difficult years. It’s really feeling a bit tough, and my personality is such that I want to be really positive about farming.”
“I think it’s one of the best jobs in the world, but actually arable farming at the moment is hard.”