PIG manure has helped a farmer claim an unofficial world record harvest with one crop and equal a British record with another.

Steve Tuer, who is developing a herd of 1,200 pigs at his farm in Hutton Bonville, near Northallerton, said dry weather had combined with well managed soil to produce a bumper oilseed rape harvest that was more than double the average yield for the crop.

He said while the weather and complicated arrangements for confirming a world record harvest had made it impossible for his 7.2 tonnes per hectare yield to be verified as the best ever, he remained delighted by his results.

Mr Tuer said: "When we got into the field and started harvesting we knew we were onto something.

"The prices for crops are really low at the moment, if we had 2011 prices I would be calling it a gold mine."

Mr Tuer said the size of the oilseed harvest had not come as a surprise as he had achieved a high yield on a previous dry year, but had been shocked by his 12.2 tonnes per hectare barley yield, which matched a UK record set in 1989.

He said his success related partly due to drilling the oilseed - recognisable for its bright dandelion-yellow flowers in spring - relatively late last September, to give the plants more room to develop at a key time, and the heavy clay soil being nutrient rich due to the pig manure.

Mr Tuer said the farm had good soil fertility as it was previously used for a dairy herd.

He added: "It's not by chance that we've got good yields, a lot of work goes into it and we have a good rotation."

Oilseed rape was little grown in Britain until the 1970s, when rising commodity prices and Common Agricultural Policy support increased its price.

Its oil is widely used by the food industry in mayonnaise, margarine and salads, and nutritionists say it has a good health profile as it has low saturated fat, is high in omega-3.

The oil is also processed for biodiesel and small amounts are used for specialist industrial uses, such as lubricants.