Rain-hit harvest will raise prices
FARMING groups have warned that the price of some every day essentials could rise due to the unusually wet weather seen over autumn and winter hitting UK harvests.
The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) has analysed the crop area forecasts from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHBD), as well as Government yield data, and found that production of wheat, barley, oats and oilseed rape could fall by four million tonnes compared to 2023 – a reduction of 17.5%.
The decline may even be more than five million – or 21.2% – if compared to the average production of the years 2015 to 2023, the analysis also suggests.
It comes as the unusually wet autumn resulted in lower levels of planting, while relentless storms and flooding over winter led to even more losses for British farmers.
Tom Lancaster, land analyst at ECIU, said there is a “real risk” that the price of bread, beer and biscuits could increase if the poor harvest leads to higher costs.
Wheat production could be hit particularly hard, with the ECIU estimating a fall of more than a quarter – 26.5% – compared to 2023.
Mr Lancaster said: “To withstand the wetter winters that will come from climate change, farmers need more support.
“The Government’s green farming schemes are vital to this, helping farmers to invest in their soils to allow them to recover faster from both floods and droughts.”
Noting that half of British food comes from abroad, Mr Lancaster said the Government will have to ensure farmers both in the UK and abroad are supported.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) last month warned of a building crisis in the agricultural sector due to the ongoing bad weather, while other farming groups have also expressed concerns.
A Government spokesperson said: “We have protected over 900,000 acres of agricultural land from the impacts of flooding since 2015, and are investing £5.6bn to better protect communities from flooding and coastal erosion.
“We have opened the Farming Recovery Fund, which provides grants of up to £25,000 to eligible farmers affected by Storm Henk.
“We continue to keep the weather situation and the subsequent impact on the 2024 harvest under close review.”