The drought that has been declared for parts of England will result in a poor quality potato crop and significant financial losses, farmers have said, according to a news report by Claudia Rowan for the Independent. She reports that one livestock farmer said the dry conditions will lead to “inevitable” shortages, while a potato farmer said his crops are dying in front of him “every day now”.
According to an internal briefing seen by The Guardian, those in a meeting of the National Drought Group earlier this summer were told that half of England’s potato crop is expected to fail as it cannot be irrigated.
And according to the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), crops such as sugar beet and maize are showing signs of stress from a lack of rain, while crops relying on irrigation, such as field vegetables and potatoes, are also facing problems.
NFU deputy president Tom Bradshaw said the situation was “hugely challenging” for farmers, who were facing running out of irrigation water and having to use winter feed for animals because of a lack of grass.
A source: https://www.potatonewstoday.com
