British Farmers Complicated from dry conditions seen in decades, the records are breaking for potential disastrous crops after the most spring, new analysis shows.
Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) has warned Climate change Already, farmers are having “disastrous” effects, Food security And shopping bills, and recently Season The extreme will negatively affect the upcoming crop.
Warning comes as concerns that mount Government Will cut money for durable Farming In the future spending review,
Farmers and environmentalists have warned that such cuts will weaken efforts to restore nature, create flexibility for climate shocks and support rural communities.
Martin Lines, Chief Executive Officer of Nature Friendly Farming Network, said this year’s arable crop was “on the edge of the knife” and emphasized the need for funding to make flexibility.
Experts say that nature -friendly farming measures, such as promoting healthy soil and promoting natural predators of crop pests, can increase considerably. AgricultureFlexibility for climate extremes.
Mr. Lines, who cultivate CambrideshireSaid: “The months of the dry season have left my crops, they still have a good part of the rain, even if we get a good part of the rain.
“It looks like farming in a changing climate.”
And he said: “It is wreaking havoc with my ability to plan and many farmers are now facing more financial losses, such as support for nature -friendly farming is being said in question.
He warned, “Nature -friendly farming is the backbone of rural flexibility. The cut in funding will no longer save money; it will spend us all in a long time.”
Britain has experienced its hottest spring in dating back in the 19th century, and is dull in over 50 years with rainfall at just 40 percent of the average level.
England In more than 100 years, I faced for three months from March to May, Meteorological Office statistics show.
The northwest of England is already in drought, and Environment agency Warning of more wide drought risk without continuous rainfall.
Analysis from ECIU estimates that the production of main arable crops is estimated-wheat, barley, oats and oilseeds-one time can again be near all time off, after extreme rains in winter 2023/2024 after extreme rainfall last year after the third worst crop.
The assessment attracts the most recent crop development survey from the Agricultural and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), which identified a large decline in the crop condition due to dried spring, reducing the yield capacity despite the recent rainfall.
It looks at three scenarios, indicating what can happen with rain in the coming weeks.
If the crop condition is maintained at the current levels, the yield will be in line with the previous year, causing a crop worse than 2024, as it has increased wheat due to oilseeds rape and spring barley, and in the 2025, in the 1980s, the dating of 2025 was made in dating dating in the 1980s.
If the rain helps improve the condition of the crop and recover up to an average of 10 years, the UK crop will be the seventh worst on record, ECIU is estimated.
And if the crop condition continues to decline and the yield is equal to 2020 – the worst crop ever since the detailed record in 1984 – this can become the worst crop on the year record.
At the ECIU, Tom Lancaster, Land, Food and Farming Analyst said: “Climate change is already having a devastating impact on Britain’s cultivation and our collective food security, carrying forward shopping bills and leaving many farmers at the end of their tether.
“Although it is too early to mention what the correct effect of this record-breaking dry spring will be, we know enough to conclude that it would have a negative effect.”
He said that scientists were clear that springs were a specialty of climate change, which made the effect of a dried spring more serious, while highly wet winters were also being fuel from rising global temperature.
Many crops have been hit by excessive rainfall in England last September and October, such as winter crops should be drilled, they were delayed in spring and made them more vulnerable to dry, hot weather recently.
“In this unstable context, the result of the review of the expenditure next week will be an important moment for farming in this country, and does the government find out what is at stake for food security in Britain’s cultivation and rapidly changing climate,” said Mr. Lancaster.
