Crunch time for carrots and potatoes as dry weather jeopardises harvest

ITV News

2 days ago

Carrots and potatoes could see price rises this year if the UK continues to experience unseasonably dry conditions, the British Growers Association has warned.
It comes after a disastrous pea harvest, where hot and dry weather caused peas to harvest early, but with low yields compared to recent years.
But just how at risk could your Sunday roast be?
Farmers rooting for some rain
Farmers were plagued with an unseasonably wet growing season last year, disrupting their ability to plant seeds, and swamping crops.
The spring of 2025, in contrast, has been the warmest and sunniest on record.
"This year is one of the best springs in living memory for getting seeds in the ground," explains John Walgate, Chief Executive at the Growers Association.
But there's a snag - it hasn't rained.
" Peas are a disaster," explains John. "It all started with such promise, with good planting.
"Particularly in Lincolnshire, we just haven't had enough rain. The plants haven't developed."
At the start of the season, farmers in Lincolnshire were getting about two tonnes of peas per acre. By the time it was wrapping up, they were getting just 0.1 tonnes per acre, a 95% decrease.
There would usually be around nine peas in a pod on average, but now farmers were getting only two. For some, it became uneconomic to even try harvesting them.
The concern now is that this dry weather will continue, affecting the winter root vegetables.
"It's probably too early to tell for carrots, potatoes and onions," explains John.
"A lot of the crops are irrigated, so they've been ok up until now. But once a farmer uses their on-farm reservoir, it's not getting replenished.
"The critical time is going to be the next eight weeks. If there is no rain, we're going to have poor yields."
And it needs to be a decent amount of rain. Even the deluge that Storm Floris brought wasn't enough to save the peas.
Bad news for brassicas too. Those grown on the eastern side of England have been affected by the dry weather, and the supply of cauliflowers is expected to be down.
"I don't think consumers will see empty shelves. What you may see is more imported products, which could lead to products being more expensive," explains John.
Profits drying up
2025 has seen the driest six months to July in almost 50 years. Five areas of England are in drought, while six more are at risk, after experiencing prolonged dry weather.
The national drought group warned that England is seeing widespread environmental and agricultural impacts from the lack of water. It not only affects crop yields, but also reduces feed for livestock, damages wetlands and river wildlife, and increases the risk of wildfire. More than 80% of farmers have said extreme weather has hit their productivity within the past five years, according to research released by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit in July.
Lower yields can equal price rises, as retailers have to import produce to keep themselves stocked.
National Farmers Union Vice-President, Rachel Hallos warned on Tuesday that this year's dry conditions could be ruinous for some farmers.
"Some farms are reporting a significant drop in yields, which is financially devastating for the farm business and could have impacts for the UK's overall harvest.
"Farming is a long-term industry and there is growing concern about the months ahead.
"Minimal grass growth means many livestock farmers are already tapping into winter feed stocks, raising the risk of higher production costs later in the year.
"To avoid the swing between extreme drought and flooding and to secure water supplies for food production, we urgently need investment in water infrastructure and a more effective planning system.
John Walgate says the increasing extreme weather events could lead to farmers taking less risks.
"Farmers are very pragmatic. Who knows what we're going to see next year? It's more about the extreme weather events we're getting.
"I would comfortably say, there will be less vegetables grown in the next year. Growers will look at it on a risk and return basis."
He also points out that support for growers has been removed - "From our point of view, the only sector-specific government support has been a scheme called the Fruit and Vegetable Aid scheme.
"That's ending this year, and it's not being replaced. That's rubbing salt into the wounds.
"It provided over 40 million a year in government support, specifically for the fruit and vegetable sector.
"We need to be able to hold more water in the winter to use in the summer. That comes down to making it easier and more supported for farmers to put it in place."
Not all doom and gloom - we're flush with fruit.
It's been a great year for fruit and tomatoes. The mild weather in early spring meant some crops were ready early, and continued sunshine has seen growers record great produce in size, yield and flavour.
The UK plum industry announced a bumper crop at the start of August, and has begun to pull out of a 'decades-long decline'
British Apples & Pears also predicts that 2025 could be the best year for quality and flavour, despite the dry weather.
The organisation, which represents British apple and pear growers, said the vast majority of orchard trees are holding up well.
In early August, Ali Capper, the organisation's chair, said: "There is still time for the weather to affect the size of the fruit.
"Substantial rainfall will likely increase the size, while dry conditions will likely mean smaller fruit.
"What we do know is that whatever the size, the skin finish and sweet flavour profile will be very appealing to consumers.'