Heavy rain over the past two weeks has eased pressure on some growers but is causing havoc with other crops and pushing prices to record levels.
The warm start to the year, followed by a prolonged dry spell and then unseasonably cold wet weather has dented English asparagus volumes. Prices are running at a 15-year high.
In the Vale of Evesham - on of the largest growing areas for gras in the UK - asparagus crowns that appeared earlier than usual in March thanks to warm sunny conditions have since returned to dormancy and are lying in water-logged fields.
British Asparagus Festival organiser Angela Tidmarsh said: “May Bank Holiday Monday sees thousands of people descending on the Worcestershire village of Bretforton for a day of asparagus-themed celebrations…. we’re scouring the region to ensure we’ve enough of the vegetable for the event. We’ve even asked people growing it in their gardens to help us out.”
Meanwhile, the conditions have helped top fruit as blossom starts. James Smith, Kent regional NFU chairman and top-fruit grower, said: “The rainfall we have had has eased the pressure and the need for irrigation has been reduced. It has helped because as trees come into bloom we need to make them as comfortable as possible. The outlook is fair. We’ve got to get through the next six weeks without any frost and then we will be able to predict how the season will go.”
The downpours have allowed growers who use winter storage reservoirs to fill them up from rivers that had been hit by bans on water abstraction. Paul Tame, regional environment advisor, East Midlands NFU, said: “It has eased the situation in the short term. The problem is if after this wet weather, the dry weather returns. However if we continue to get dollops of rain like we have just had we will be fine. What we really need is for the aquifers to be recharged next winter.”
The rain wills also help delay the start of irrigation season, which usually begins in May. Brian Finnerty, NFU East Anglia spokesman: said: “It was so dry last April that irrigation was in full swing. If we get a hot dry spell in the summer we could still be looking at restrictions through the environment agency.”
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