Norfolk farmer swaps barley for winter white mustard

Will Sands, whose family farms at Brumstead, near Stalham, has grown 24 hectares of a winter white mustard variety this year, and he hopes to grow larger areas in future.

The crop is destined for the Condimentum mill at the Food Enterprise Park at Easton, outside Norwich, which produces mustard flour and ingredients for customers around the world - including the famed Colman's brand.

Norfolk farmer Will Sands has harvested his first crop of white mustard (Image: Will Sands)

"The reason we changed was because winter barley was one of the lowest returns on the farm - I have been looking for a replacement for a few years, and I got fed up growing vining peas," said Mr Sands.

"We were fortunate that English Mustard Growers, which supplies Condimentum in Norwich, were looking for more growers and I was looking for something that would fit in the same harvest slot - autumn-sown and ideally an early July harvest."

But this summer's wet weather has delayed his debut mustard harvest.

"I would have liked to have had it a couple of weeks ago, and because of the rain it started to shell out, so I don't think we are going to get our target yield of two tonnes per hectare," said Mr Sands.

"At the moment I am happy with it, but the shine has been taken off it because of the rain."

Mr Sands said this is the first year that the over-wintered white mustard has been available as a commercial variety, and he preferred it over oilseed rape as it was less vulnerable to flea beetle pests.

"The main benefit of growing the winter variety is that it should be more established and give you a yield benefit," he said.

"We can use the kit we have already got, and there are fewer problems with flea beetles compared to oilseed rape.

"This can still attract flea beetles, but you are sowing at the start of their winter dormancy when they are not as active. It is much less of a risk."