Wettest autumn in living memory may have an effect on our food supplies, say Harborough district farmers

They are warning shoppers face a domestic shortage of bread and possibly beef and lamb next year as devastating rainfall takes a terrible toll.

Embattled Rachel Fyfe, 53, who runs Smallthorns Farm at Clipston, with her husband Alan, told the Harborough Mail: “The weather’s been incredibly bad – the worst we’ve ever experienced.

“I’ve got a rain gauge in our garden and we’ve been deluged by almost 12 inches of rain since September 22.

“Normally we’d get 26 inches a year.

“So we’ve had almost six months’ worth of rain in just eight weeks or so!”

The Fyfes farm 500 ewes and 90 suckler cows as well as growing wheat, oats and barley on almost 400 acres.

“We’d usually sow or drill our seeds in September and October ready for next autumn’s harvest.

“But the rain’s been so heavy that farmers around here have drilled less than 25 per cent of seeds so far,” said Rachel, who took over the farm back in 1994.

“Here we’ve drilled just one small field of wheat.

“The rest of our seed is still in the bags waiting to be put out.

“It’s just too wet.

“The worst thing is that I’ve no idea when we will be able to drill.

“It’s already too late for barley – and that’s our animal feed for next year.

“We should be growing it for our livestock for next winter so that’s a big worry.”

She said constant catastrophic downpours were also having an impact on their animals.

“All our cattle have had to come in early.

“They don’t like being wet all the time and they’re trampling our fields into bogs,” said Rachel.

“We’ll have no grass next year at this rate.

“Our sheep are also pretty miserable and we’re struggling with grass for them too.

“All our crops are faring desperately and even our wheat looks sick.

“It’s been a tough year anyway with uncertainty over Brexit and depressed lamb, cattle and cereal prices.

“All this rain feels like the final kick in the teeth to cap off 2019.

“It highlights very starkly that our food supply is very insecure and farmers are facing very challenging times.”

Under-pressure James Stanbridge, 28, runs mixed 800-acre Beauchamp Grange Farm at Kibworth with his dad Mark.

James said: “My dad’s 53 and he’s never known an autumn as wet as this one – it’s been non-stop.

“We’ve got bales of straw stacked outside for the cattle and 30 per cent has already been wasted.

“We’ve managed to drill about 75 acres – a quarter of our arable land – but many farmers in the East Midlands have only sown about 10 per cent.

“Our neighbour at Foxton has drilled nothing so it’s very worrying.”

He fears UK consumers will face price increases for basics such as bread next autumn.

“I’ve no doubt there’ll be a domestic shortage of wheat because our harvest will suffer as a result of this terrible weather.

“Farmers are looking at 12 months of hardship and some of that will be passed on to customers.

“My message to shoppers is simple – buy local.

“Please go to your local baker and your local butcher and support your local farmer.

“We are proud to have the highest production standards, animal welfare standards and environmental standards in the world.

“So please back us to the hilt and we’ll battle to get through this.”

NFU East Midlands regional director Gordon Corner told the Mail: “The intense and sustained period of rainfall we have experienced recently has meant farmers and growers have not been able to carry out work on wet and flooded land.

“This is hitting particularly hard for arable farmers who cannot finish their harvest or start drilling winter cereals.

“Farmers are increasingly worried about the impacts this will have on their businesses next year, particularly increased financial pressure.”

Mr Corner warned: “The devastating flooding we have seen in the East Midlands has swamped thousands of acres of farmland at a crucial time in the farming calendar.

“Most arable farmers would have usually drilled all of their winter crops by now, but the relentless rain and resulting flooding means many have been unable to drill anything.

“Flooding also messes up the soil structure and farmers can only watch as some of the best agricultural soil in the country is washed away.

“Rainfall on this scale exposes the vulnerability of farming businesses, the fragility of returns to farmers, their exposure to volatility - ultimately resulting in an impact on their bottom line.

“It’s why the next government and its agencies need to take water-related issues seriously.

“Some of our most productive and highest value agricultural land is vulnerable to flooding and deserves to be protected.”