British wheat crop falls by a third

Britain wheat crop 'to fall by a third after extreme weather'

Britain's wheat harvest this year could be almost 30% smaller than it was last year due to extreme weather, the National Farmers' Union has warned.

BBC,

10 June, 2013

It said the reduction, calculated after a "snapshot" poll, came after arable crops had been battered by severe snow, rain and flooding since the autumn.

Figures in April had already revealed the area planted with winter wheat was down by a quarter on the previous year.

The NFU also said members were losing confidence about their prospects.

The organisation's poll - which questioned 76 farmers covering 16,000 hectares (40,000 acres) of land - suggested that wheat production would be below average for the second year in a row.

Last year's harvest already showed lower volumes and quality due to weather extremes - with heavy rain and flooding following months of drought, the NFU said.

And in a separate survey, the NFU found nearly half of arable farmers (45%) felt less confident about the prospects for their farm businesses in the next 12 months compared with 2012.

'Supporting the industry'

NFU combinable crops chairman Andrew Watts said: "A myriad of factors have hit arable farms this year, from the extreme weather through to news that there will be restrictions on neonicotinoids (neuro-active insecticides) to come in the future.

"Our poll is a snapshot, but it is extremely worrying that planted area remaining viable for 2013 harvest on those farms looks set to be 29% smaller than last year. If this plays out nationally, we will be below average production for the second year in a row."

He went on: "The saving grace in past years has been crop protection technology which can help maintain yield potential and all-important grain quality by guarding against pests and ensure crops are more drought and flood resistant."

However, he said lobbying had led to potential restrictions on the use of certain pesticides amid concerns about their impact on bees and fungicides.

It was "hardly surprising" that short-term confidence was so low under those circumstances, he added.

"If the experts are to be believed and extreme weather is to become more frequent over the coming years, we must look at ways of supporting the industry."

The NFU urged the government to support farmers by ensuring pesticides - which protect crops - continued to be used to safeguard future harvests.

It also called for ministers to keep reforming the system which pays farming subsidies, to ensure its members were not at a disadvantage compared with other EU farmers.