"The very dry spring caused further problems and, whilst the harvest got off to a good start, heavy rain in mid/late August caused losses and quality issues. The result was a 24pc fall in wheat area and reduced yields contributing to the smallest UK wheat harvest (by volume) since 1981. A price rise of 6.1pc for wheat was not nearly enough to compensate for the 40pc fall in volume." Meanwhile, the output value from barley fell by 1.7pc, according to the Defra report. As many growers switched from winter wheat to spring barley it meant that, despite the difficult season, barley production in 2020 was up slightly on the record harvests seen in 2019. The price, though, fell by 2.1pc due to "plentiful supplies and lower demand from brewers because of hospitality venues being closed during Covid-19 lockdowns".