Global warming could be far worse than anyone is prepared to admit, climate-change consultant Pete Taylor told a group of Breton and Lincolnshire growers and media at a meeting last week.

He was a guest speaker at a one-day workshop organised by importer-exporter Davis (Louth) at its Lincolnshire headquarters.

The meteorologist said that average rainfall in the UK will drop by 15 per cent over the next five years and that in southern Spain and Portugal it will fall by 28 per cent over the next five years.

Taylor, who has retired from the UK’s Meteorological Office, also predicts that the Gulf Stream - the current that brings warmer water and weather conditions to the UK in the winter - is breaking off and moving further south. This phenomenon, along with colder winds blowing into the UK from Siberia means that winters are getting colder and drier, summer hotter and drier and spring and autumn wetter and windier.

“We had 50 growers visiting from Brittany Prince as well as media from France and Lincolnshire,” said Davis md Peter Davis. “We took them to visit a seed station to see how we are having to develop new varieties to meet the changing climate. For example cauliflower plants have been blown about by the wind this year so they have taken three to four weeks longer to root, So we need to develop varieties with different rootstocks to withstand that and also to be more resistant to frost damage.” Climate change is already having an impact - for example, Brittany had cooler drier conditions this year than Lincolnshire.

The meeting also updated Brittany’s growers on the absolute requirement for traceability and certification as well as political changes such as the 5-a-Day push in the UK, and growing consumer awareness of food miles.

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