Andy’s August crop round-up

As we move into the final few months of 2014 and begin to look to the year ahead, the question we’ve been asking ourselves at Terravesta is this: does the 2015 Miscanthus harvest have the potential to be the best we’ve seen for five or six years? If the top-quality crop I have seen around the country is anything to go by, and these favourable weather patterns continue, the answer is a resounding ‘yes’.

 

In previous years, the very best harvests have come from isolated pockets of the country where the weather has been at its kindest. This year, however, the standard we’re seeing nationwide is consistently high – thanks, in part, to consistently cooperative weather conditions. After a miserable winter, we’ve had a fantastic spring and summer with plenty of sun and rain, as well as a welcome lack of late frosts.

Now, only halfway through the Miscanthus growth cycle, we’re already seeing better results than we have at the end of previous seasons – and there are still almost two months of growing time left to go. In some places, I have even seen crop standing at more than three metres tall (and counting!), with no inputs other than sun and rain.

However, while Miscanthus farmers up and down the country are undoubtedly grateful to have been dealt a good hand weather-wise this year, we all know that we can’t rely on similar luck every year. That’s why Terravesta places such emphasis on providing expert advice and support at every stage of the process – from planting and baling to storage and pelleting – to ensure growers are producing the best quality crop possible, whatever the weather. It’s great to see the results of this ongoing quality drive translating into such impressive crop across the board.