Growers are playing down the impact of bad weather despite today’s emergency flood meeting of Cobra chaired by environment secretary Owen Paterson.
Vegetable growers and NFU directors say the weather is “manageable” although some areas of south-west England have received the equivalent of three weeks' rainfall in the last week.
Paterson said: “With a number of flood warnings in place today and more rain and high winds forecast for tomorrow, I have today chaired a Cobra meeting to make sure that across central government departments we are ensuring that local councils, utilities and transport companies are as prepared and ready to respond as possible.”
Paterson said the Environment Agency and local authorities are on the ground and ready to take any necessary actions in areas that could be affected.
He added: “I urge everyone in affected areas to sign up to the Environment Agency flood warnings and follow the advice they issue to protect themselves and their properties.”
Regional director for NFU South West Ian Johnson said the intensity of yesterday’s weather was extreme:“It’s quiet at the moment but I hadn’t seen water quite like it yesterday. The worst thing is the volatility. If we get any more deluges it won’t be a good thing for crops.”
Johnson said the area is used to severe gales and the biggest issues will be from water running off saturated ground onto roads, as well as the risk of falling trees.
David Simmons, managing director of Asda vegetable supplier Riviera Produce, based in Cornwall, said 100ml of rain had fallen in the last week, more than double the average amount.
Simmons said: “It is difficult to get round the fields with the wet ground. It is slowing us down but we are managing.”
He added: “There is another storm coming tonight which is supposed to continue for a day or two.”
Oliver Cartwright, communications advisor for NFU West Midlands, said that the tough conditions highlight how resilient farmers are.
“We’ve had some localised flooding but nothing major. Farmers will be hoping for a cold, hard January,” he said.
The news comes as the Met Office issued weather warnings for much of Scotland, south-east England, north-west England, the West Country and Wales.
A yellow ‘be aware’ warning has been given for western areas with further wet and windy conditions expected for tomorrow (3 January).
Cobra is an acronym for the Cabinet Office Briefing Room A in Whitehall, where ministers, civil servants and bodies such as the Environment Agency meet to discuss emergency response plans.
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