Extreme Peterborough weather could see prices rise as farmers struggle to cope

May was one of the driest and sunniest months on record in the city, with less than 1mm of rain recorded.

After one of the wettest winters on record, farmers are now struggling to grow their produce.

Farcet farmer Steve Briggs said extreme weather was ‘the new normal.’

He said: “Across the farming industry we have all been affected.

“We had one of the wettest winters, and we went straight into one of the hottest, driest springs - the soil basically turned from porridge to concrete.

“We went from deep winter to summer - we have not had a spring.

“If the crops were planted in late spring, they are really struggling.

“If they can be irrigated, they can be ok, but a lot are struggling.

“It is not just crops, it is feed for livestock, shade for livestock.

“Having had a very challenging winter, this is a real struggle.

“The problem is that when it comes to the weather, extreme is the new normal.

“We know there is plenty of water in the reservoirs , but it is all about getting it to the places it is needed.

“Right now we just need rain and lots of it.

“Climate change is teaching farmers here that we will have to act differently in the future.

“We are having longer periods of dry weather and longer periods of wet weather than ever before.

“It is really bringing into focus issues such as soil quality.

“We need to look at ways to build resilience into the system, the more we face issues like this.”

The weather problems affecting farmers could soon impact shoppers across the country, with possible price rises on some of our favourite items.

Steve said: “Potentially prices could go up, but as with everything, there are so many unknowns.

“It could have a knock on effect on things like wheat, barley, oats, peas and beans for example.

“Fruit and salad veg are producing like mad, for example, because they love the sunshine - but the problem we are having is there is not enough people to pick them.

“It will be a real challenge this harvest, because of the high volume of crops.

“And even if there is an uptake in the number of people able to pick, it will present another challenge because of the social distancing rules that are in place.”

However, despite some of the issues, Steve urged people to look local when they are buying produce.

He said: “We have to look at our domestic food security. So much of what we consume is imported, and we have to look at what impact the pandemic is having abroad.

“We don’t know what is happening in Spain with strawberries, for example - it could result in their being a shortage of things on the shelves, or certain items becoming very expensive.

“We have seen yeast and flour has been in short supply as small distribution systems can be very restrictive.

“We need to pay more attention to food security and to local food sources.”

Steve runs The Harvest Barn Shop a farm shop with wife Lynn on Ramsey Road, and along with the impact the weather has had on his business, he has also been hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

He said: “We run the shop and a cafe - and the Covid situation has had a major impact on us.

“We had to shut for a couple of weeks initially because we had no staff - some had childcare issues, some were shielding, and the team just got smaller and smaller.

“We have plenty of space available for social distancing, and we are putting up a large marquee to allow some space when the cafe re-opens.”

For details visit https://harvestbarn.co.uk/