Farmer warns drought could stop vegetable planting as dry spell grips UK

Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleFarmers are facing severe challenges due to prolonged dry weather and back-to-back heatwaves in the UK, with drought declared in parts of Wales on Thursday. Ben Andrews, who runs Broadward Hall Farm in Herefordshire, told The Independent: “Our veg is seriously struggling this year. At this point, we’re really having to sit down and consider whether we’re even going to plant vegetables next year.”The National Farmers’ Union deputy president, Paul Tompkins, warned “this could be another difficult and expensive harvest” and urged the government to improve long-term resilience against climate change by overhauling licensing and easing planning rules to make building on-farm water reservoirs easier.Retailers are closely monitoring the situation, with Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium (BRC), saying: "Extreme weather, including drought, can affect crop yields and place upward pressure on prices.”Forecasters offer little immediate relief, with the Met Office predicting continued low rainfall in the driest southern regions, while the Environment Agency urges public water conservation. In fullFarmer warns risk of UK drought may force him to stop growing vegetablesMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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