- British farmers are bracing for what they warn could be "the worst harvest in years", as a punishing combination of a sodden winter followed by prolonged drought and successive heatwaves devastates crops across the country. Farming leaders are calling for urgent government support to help build resilience against increasingly extreme weather patterns.
- Gavin Lane, president of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which represents 28,000 farmers, painted a grim picture. "Farmers are telling us this is the worst harvest in years," he stated. "A sodden winter followed by drought has left wheat at half its usual height and some crops not worth harvesting."
- Mr Lane stressed the urgent need for government intervention, warning: "What was once extraordinary is becoming part of farming in Britain, and Government must start planning for it." He called for "proper government investment in resilient farming systems, from reservoirs to wildfire prevention," to help farmers cope with these new extremes.
- He further advocated for a well-funded "sustainable farming incentive" – the cornerstone of the Government’s agri-environmental subsidy scheme – to be accessible to all farms, regardless of their size or business type. Such a scheme, he suggested, "would also give farmers a reliable source of income should the weather wipe out their harvest."
- In a stark warning, Mr Lane concluded: "Farmers have shown again and again that they can adapt and deliver solutions, but resilience has limits. If we want them to keep feeding the country, they need proper support. Otherwise, this harvest could be their last."
IN FULL
