UK Farmers Struggle Amid One of the Wettest Julys on Record During Crucial Harvest Time

Prolonged wet weather in July, one of the wettest on record, has posed significant challenges to UK farmers who are eager for drier conditions to harvest crops and cut hay meadows.

Eleanor Gilbert, a 21-year-old farmer from Berkshire, is one of many who are striving to adapt to the unfavorable weather conditions. With a rare dry spell, Gilbert is preparing to harvest oilseed rape, a crop now in less than perfect condition due to the persistent rain.

Gilbert expresses her concerns, stating that a failure to profit from these crops, which have been nurtured throughout the year, could potentially jeopardize their entire farming operation. The challenging weather also marks a tough initiation for her 18-year-old sister, Lucy, who is participating in her first harvest this year.

The sisters’ situation reflects a broader issue faced by farmers across the UK. The National Farmers’ Union has stated that the coming ten days are crucial for the grain harvest. With rising electricity costs, drying wet crops is becoming increasingly expensive, adding another layer of complexity to an already strenuous harvest season.

Karl Franklin, a farmer from West Oxfordshire, noted that this year’s harvest is taking twice as long and costing considerably more. Franklin said, “Usually the crop is cut by the end of June, I’ll be lucky if it’s completed mid-August.”

Furthermore, once harvested, crops must be cleaned, graded, sorted, and converted into an edible form, which necessitates dry storage. Moisture levels in crops must not exceed 15%, or they risk rejection at processing facilities. Last week, Gilbert lost over a third of her profit because the crop was too wet.

Despite these struggles, farmers like Gilbert remain hopeful for a drier August. In the meantime, they are calling for public understanding, asking motorists to be considerate of farming machinery on the roads due to their limited time to complete the harvest. Gilbert concluded, “Farmers all across the UK are struggling. They are in the same position as we are.”