Growers across the East Midlands are struggling to recover from devastating floods which have given the area its highest-ever rainfall for May and June.

“According to reports from our members, some areas have been less badly affected than others, but the overall picture is not good,” reported the NFU’s regional director, Richard Hezlet.

“The rains have come at a busy time of year when farmers are looking forward to the prospects for harvest. It now looks like being a difficult and expensive time. High rainfall and waterlogged soils will create new challenges for farmers, but they will cope. Farmers live with the weather every day - its part of the business of growing food and looking after animals. Unfortunately the financial losses could be heavy for individuals, but in general they are philosophical about their situation: they know many are far worse off than they are.”

Growers are reportedly suffering particular problems with flooded fields of potatoes and other high value crops such as vining peas (for frozen pea production) and soft fruit. Other issues include lodging (or flattening) of cereal crops; potato blight and other fungal diseases brought on by warm, wet weather, and water-logging.

“The immediate challenge for farmers and growers will be to make the best of a bad job,” Hezlet continued, “This weather is very much out of the ordinary: for the longer term, farmers will now be thinking about how they can adapt and change their farming practises and businesses to the changing climatic conditions. More and more the evidence of global warming is around us and farming is just one industry which will have to find solutions to the changing weather patterns we will face.”

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