15 hours agoShareSaveMalcolm Prior and Jenny KumahBBC News rural affairs teamShareSaveBBC/Malcolm PriorThe British Growers Association (BGA) said this summer was “proving to be yet another climatic challenge for growers”, but shortfalls from some suppliers were being mitigated by producers growing more crops in areas that have seen lower temperatures and higher rainfall.Jack Ward, the BGA’s chief executive, said: “In some areas, supplies of summer brassicas, cauliflowers and cabbages are tight.”Other root crops, carrots and onions have been kept going by the use of irrigation, but there are serious concerns about water supplies if the lack of rain continues.”At this stage, we are confident that the crops will be there, but the weather events of the last three months highlight the increasing uncertainty around our food supplies.”Meanwhile, arable farmer Martin Williams, who is also the chairman of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) Herefordshire branch, said he had seen a 50% drop in his cereal yield, a third of the normal potato crop was likely, and there had been a 70% drop in the grass grown for feed.He said conditions had been “absolutely, devastatingly dry” and he is now considering how and what he should farm in the future”Going forward, it makes me wonder about the viability of growing cereal commodity crops.”It is a risk-based job but if I can manage my risk down by not growing those risky crops then maybe that’s something I should look at,” he said.’Hugely varied’ harvestThe National Farmers’ Union (NFU) said the extremes of weather conditions this year had been “unprecedented”, with the overall harvest picture currently “hugely varied”.Jamie Burrows, chairman of the NFU’s crops board, said that farmers in areas that had seen rainfall were actually seeing “better-than-expected” yields, while others are “facing significant drops which will have substantial financial implications on their businesses”.Tom Lancaster, the ECIU’s head of land, food and farming, said successive years of extreme weather, both wet and dry, were taking its toll on farmers.He told the BBC: “I don’t think we should look at this year just in isolation. This is part of a pattern, coming off the back of the second worst harvest last year and the worst harvest on record in 2020.”It’s that pattern we need to be concerned about because, as these impacts on agriculture and on farmers start to stack up, farmers will just effectively stop farming.”Related internet links …
