Farmers battling 'worst drought in 50 years'

Farmers have revealed the full impact of this summer's hot and dry weather on their struggling crops during what one described as "the worst drought in 50 years".

Duncan Palmer, from Bower Hinton in Somerset, said this is the driest summer he has experienced since the heatwave of 1976.

Data from the Met Office shows that with about five weeks remaining, this summer is currently the fourth driest in Somerset since records began.

Richard Plowright, who has an organic farm at Over Stowey in the Quantock Hills, said the heat and lack of rain has killed off half of the crops he planted in July.

The driest-ever summer in the county - according to Met Office data - is 1995, when there was just 53.3mm (2ins) of rain in June, July and August.

By comparison in 1976, which lives in the memory as a notoriously dry summer, there was 81.4mm of rain, making it the third driest ever.

In June this year, there was 80mm of rain, which is higher than average, but from 1 to 23 July only 1.4mm of rain recorded.

The West and other parts of England remain in "prolonged dry weather" status, the final stage before drought is officially declared.

Palmer said: "We think the River Parrett was lower in 1976, but I would say this is the worst drought since.

"This year, it's not good at all - not for the crops, not for the livestock," he said.

He said the farm is running out of water despite an investment in three lakes to irrigate crops.

Palmer said he may change what he grows next year, but that it is difficult for farmers to overhaul what they produce.

"We do seem to have these long dry spells now, we used to say in this country that if you don't like the weather then wait a minute but that doesn't apply anymore," he said.

"You just have to work with it and not let it get to you."

Plowright said things are going "very badly" this summer for his field crops - half of those planted in July were lost, including winter brassicas, savoy cabbages and cauliflowers.

"It's not just the lack of rain it's the temperature - some crops died from the heat before we got water onto them."

His farm has lost all its parsnips and celeriac, with early crops of broccoli and sprout plants looking very stunted.

"We're desperate for rain and we hope there's enough time, light and temperature left in the year to bring these plants on, so we can all have sprouts for Christmas," he said.

"We are looking at different planting systems in the future which will protect the soil from high temperatures."

Sam Pociecha, an agronomist who advises farmers, said crop yields are down by an average of 25% across the south of the UK.

"This is the first year I've known where things not just here in the UK but elsewhere in the world, [with] geopolitical issues or weather patterns like El Nino, where we could actually see a big impact on prices locally."

He added that despite being impacted by global market forces, farmers are "amazingly resilient".

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