by Worried farmers say the coming weeks will be crucial for this summer’s harvest – and that potential yields have already been damaged by the wettest six months on record.
The wet harvest led to a “significant reduction” in winter crops as farmers were unable to get seeds in the ground – and now the continued rain is also preventing many spring crops from being planted in flooded fields.
An annual survey by the AHDB (Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board) shows wheat areas down 15pc, oilseed rape down 28pc, winter barley down 22pc – although spring barley is up 29pc, reflecting changes in cropping decisions due to the wet harvest .
If the gloomy conditions do not improve in the coming weeks, analysts said a point could be reached where varieties planted in the spring “will not be able to develop sufficiently to provide a viable crop”.
North Norfolk farm contractor Kit Papworth (Image: Newsquest)
North Norfolk farm contractor Kit Papworth said: “It’s very challenging at the moment. We had the wettest six months on most people’s records.
“By this time last year we had finished spring barley, we were drilling sugar beet and planting potatoes. This year, we still have almost all the seeds in the shed.
“We’ve done no sugar beet, no potatoes, and only about 10pc of our spring barley is in the ground, so it will inevitably have an impact on future yields.
“We have to be patient. We need crops to grow well, so we have to dry the ground and put them in good order.
“We have four weeks of a very busy or very worried period. If we don’t have crops in the ground by the end of April, a lot of farmers in Norfolk will be very worried.”
Julian Taylor and his family have kept weather records on their farm at Starston, near Harleston, since 1900.
Between 1900 and 1999 there were only seven years with more than 30 inches of rain. Since 2000, there have already been 10 years with more than that amount.
Last year’s annual figure was the highest on record, with February marking the peak of the farm’s wettest six-month period on record.
Mr Taylor said: “No doubt there are terrible parts of Britain and even East Anglia, but we’ve been lucky in Starston, because we’ve got all our winter crops drilled and they seem to be holding up they.
“But because the roots didn’t have to search for water, the concern is how deep those roots will go to chase water if it dries out.”
Julian Taylor with his son Dickon and the cattle of the family farm in North Devon (Image: Denise Bradley)
Mr Taylor’s son Dickon Lombe Taylor and his wife Emily run a 105-strong herd of North Devon cattle on the farm – whose long-awaited spring move has been delayed by “a couple of weeks” of rain winter sheds to grass pasture.
“Thank God it’s drying out now, but it’s frustrating watching the grass grow and knowing I can’t put the cows out there yet,” he said.
Zoe Leach, regional director of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) in the East of England (Image: Newsquest)
Zoe Leach, regional director of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) in the East of England, said some of the arable crops that farmers managed to plant last year looked “very poor”, although the rain stopped the spring planting progress. wheat and barley, which were lower-yielding by nature.
“There are no two ways about it, the production forecast is looking very poor, which means we will be importing more grain into the country this year,” she said.
“In general, it’s been very tough on combine crops. We’ve also seen problems with a very difficult sugar beet harvest because it’s been so wet, potatoes have had terrible weather and they’re struggling to harvest and now they’re struggling. to cart them in.”
Flooded fields on the Euston Estate near Thetford (Image: Andrew Blenkiron)
Dr Leach said the bad weather had put more pressure on farms already struggling with high prices and falling incomes, and the continued post-Brexit end to EU subsidies, which are being replaced by new environmental payments such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). ) – which she fears could also affect long-term food production.
“The weather is always variable, but these events are becoming more and more frequent, so people are looking at the SFI schemes, and we are seeing more people reducing risk in their business by adopting options that are less dependent on the weather. ,” she said.
“We’re seeing a lot of people, for example, growing bird seed instead of growing food, which is obviously a concern if it’s done on such a large scale.
“We are lobbying the government to limit the amount of area that can be put into these schemes because at the end of the day we still have to produce food as well as look after the environment.”
