Drought leads to crop worries

Areas of the UK have entered a drought for the first time in years and many farmers across the UK are facing major crop failures because of recent very dry weather.

With the possibility of watering bans in the crucial pre-harvest months of August and September still likely for some regions, an inability to access water could significantly affect yields and farm income.

Root vegetables such as potatoes are under particular threat from the heat, and growers with supermarket contracts could find themselves in serious financial difficulty if crop yields fall significantly as a result of the harsh weather conditions.

There is also concern for soft fruit growers, who could see smaller strawberries and raspberries because of the hot, dry weather. This could also affect the shelf life of the fruit.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) has been calling on Government agencies to prepare for the rapid introduction of derogations to rules governing farmed environment schemes, should weather conditions thwart the delivery of agreed management prescriptions.

In addition, the farming body is looking at longer-term solutions to drought, such as helping farmers to adopt on-farm drought risk management and contingency planning, like more efficient water use, rainwater harvesting, separating potable and non-potable water use, locating and repairing leaking pipes.

Are you concerned about the financial impact of drought? Contact our team today for advice.