A Lincolnshire farmer has told GB News that this year’s harvest has been “catastrophic” due to the prolonged periods of dry weather.
Andrew Ward MBE farms near Leadenham and has not long finished this year’s combining, but when he enters his shed of Spring Barley, he’s met with a troubling sight.
Little to no rainfall since spring in many parts of the country has meant arable farmers like him have seen large decreases in their crop yields. In the South East, for example, Winter Barley yields are down almost 20 per cent.
Mr Ward said: “This Spring Malting Barley goes to make whiskey and beer. This crop was planted in March and harvested end of July.
“Normally in this building, this grain store, the heap would be about three feet higher than it is now and it would be full to the door. So we've got a very, very reduced amount of grain due to the dry weather.
“The lack of rain has been catastrophic, especially to spring crops.”
Five areas are officially in drought, with six more experiencing prolonged dry weather. Government data shows it’s been the driest six months to July since 1976.
Activists say climate change is causing more extreme weather, whether that’s droughts or flooding, but Mr Ward disputes the claim.
Andrew Ward MBE farms near Leadenham and has not long finished this year’s combining, but when he enters his shed of Spring Barley, he’s met with a troubling sight
|ANDREW WARD
He told GB News: “I've got rainfall figures going back 27 years and for me, anything more than 100mm of rain in a month is a lot of water.
“1976 was an extremely hot year, that was like 50 years ago, and you look at it now where we are today and yet people are saying that it's the climate that's causing it.
“We were getting those problems and those weather effects years ago. It's the variations of weather that we get all the time.”
Trouble at harvest soon has a domino effect, not only with the UK’s food security, but livestock too.
Andrew Ward MBE spoke about the impact of dry weather on this year's harvest
|GB NEWS
Straw and fodder shortages are already being reported, leaving some livestock farmers to start using reserves usually left for the winter months. The dry weather has meant crops have not grown as tall as usual, therefore less straw is left to be bailed after combine harvesting.
However, even where crop yields have been average or good, Mr Ward says he faces selling his wheat and barley for less than the price more than 10 years ago.
He said: “The problem we've got at the minute is grain prices are really poor.. We're selling wheat feed grain around about £165/£170 per tonne.
“To put that in perspective, 2012, so that is like 13 years ago, wheat was £200 a tonne, so we were receiving £35 a tonne more 13 years ago.
Even where crop yields have been average or good, Andrew says he faces selling his wheat and barley for less than the price more than 10 years ago
|ANDREW WARD
“Yet the cost of growing that crop is not what what it was in 2012. Whether it's fertiliser, agrochemical products, fuel, labour or wages, we're paying more.
“We're paying today's rate, but we're selling our crops at a lot less than it was in 2012 and that is not sustainable. It can't carry on.”
With pressures so unsustainable Mr Ward warns there’s farms across the country that are selling up, including some quietly let go.
He told GB News: “There are more farms for for sale nationally than there has been for years, and they are the ones that people know about.
“There are a lot of farms that are now on the market, and a lot of deals being done with people and friends and neighbours that is not publicised.”