Unseasonably wet July disrupts UK harvest

Farmers in the United Kingdom have warned that an unseasonably wet July has disrupted this year's harvest, adversely affecting agricultural businesses and potentially impacting on food prices in shops.

Growers say the conditions have significantly impacted cereal and root vegetable crops, with wheat, barley, and hay particularly affected by an exceptionally hot June that was followed by one of the wettest July's on record.

National Farmers Union crops chair Matt Culley told The Grocer trade news website that the damp and cold weather, caused by the jet stream being stuck to the south of the UK, results in additional costs for growers to keep harvests dry and preserve quality.

The high price of gas, fuel, and electricity could make the cost of drying crops quite significant, he said. Grains would be of a lower weight and quality due to the lack of sunshine, he added.

Farmer Iain Barbour told ITV News the challenges facing growers will have an impact down the line.

"What happens on the farm will affect everyone, with farmers the first link in the chain, so there's going to be knock-on effects with animal feed that's going to knock-on with food prices as well," he said. "We've just had almost a perfect storm of bad weather."

Farmers have lacked the time to cut, dry, and bale up grass before it rains again, Nicola Cannon from the Royal Agricultural University told The Guardian newspaper.

She said: "Even if the product is being harvested to be used for animals, it still needs to store well without going moldy as this not only reduces the quality and desirability of the product but also can make it a fire risk.

"We all know the phrase 'make hay while the sun shines', and the reason for this is that, ideally, grass is cut for hay and dries quickly on a warm and breezy day."

Waterlogged soil has significantly affected grain crops, she added.

"This time of year is when farmers need to harvest winter wheat, which is used for either animal feed or for making biscuits or bread, but the quality of the grain can be seriously damaged if the ripe wheat crop remains in the field because it is too wet to harvest.

"Grain that remains unharvested in the field in wet weather can start to sprout and is more likely to develop mold, both of which can lead to it being rejected for bread-making, meaning the farmer then receives a lower price."

European growers last month issued warnings of "intense pressure" on cereal and olive crops, which may seriously impact the quality and size of this year's harvest. Fruit and vegetable crops have also been impacted, with analysts saying yields grown in Spain will be affected by the high temperatures across southern Europe.