Essex: Farmers fear weather diaster for crops

It will take two weeks of dry sunny weather if they are to save the two thirds of cereal crops left rotting in the fields around the county.

Mid Essex had its wettest summer in 17 years.

Figures produced for the Essex Chronicle by Writtle College's weather-watcher, Martin Heywood, show the district had 194mm of rain since June, which is 37 per cent above average.

The Met Office predicts moderate rain today and heavier falls tomorrow but sunshine for the weekend.National Farmers Union spokesman, Peter Hawes, said: "This is the last nail in the coffin for many farmers.

''They are facing genuine catastrophe. Seven inches of rain fell in the area in the past two weeks compared to none at all during the same period last year. That period is crucial harvest time.

"Only about 30 per cent of the wheat harvest has been combined, which leaves most of it still in the muddy fields, being beaten into the soil by the storms. They are deteriorating rapidly every day.

"A lot of the wheat, which is ripe and heavy, has been knocked down by the heavy rain. Some of the grain is actually growing in the mud.

"It's very bad indeed. Prices have halved since last year and it will keep dropping. There will be no milling wheat because it is only fit for feed.

"It will have very serious repercussions for the cereal farmer. It will cause genuine financial hardship. There is no doubt about that. It's catastrophic.

"One of many spin-offs is that there will be little or no straw for bedding livestock, which means buying in straw which raises the price at market."

Robert Bucknell, of Blake End, Great Saling, near Braintree, said: "This has hit us badly. We have only a quarter of our wheat crop in.

"It has left us very exposed financially. Unless we get a lot of sun very soon it will be very bad news.

"To cap it all, our dryer caught fire on Monday, just when we need it most."

Published Thursday August 26, 2004

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