While many have been soaking up the spring sunshine, farmers across southern England are facing growing concern over the impact of an extended dry spell on their crops.
With little rain forecast in the coming days, many fields are struggling, as crops sown earlier this spring fail to germinate in increasingly parched soil. For farmers like Colin Rayner, who runs Stubbings Farm in Maidenhead, the situation is already having a serious effect on yield potential.
Rayner said the spring barley he planted several weeks ago has “hardly germinated”, leaving him hoping for rain by the weekend. “We had a very wet winter,” he told BBC Radio Berkshire. “I think we had 90 days of rain from November to the end of February. Then it just stopped.”
“The ground’s dried out very quickly. We’ve had cold temperatures but then very hot lunchtimes,” he added. “In the morning, I’ve got two jumpers on and by lunchtime I’ve got my shorts and T-shirt on. By 3pm, the jumper’s back on again.”
Rayner, who has been farming for 50 years, says the weather has changed “dramatically” in that time. “We seem to get periods of extreme wet and then periods of extreme hot and dry.”
His concerns are echoed across the region. In Newbury, farmer George Brown is also battling uneven crop development. “A lot of the crops that were planted early are coming through, but we’ve got large chunks – especially on top of the hills – where it’s absolutely barren. They’re just sitting there, waiting in rows to germinate,” he said.
Last autumn, many farmers were unable to plant winter crops at all due to persistent rainfall and waterlogged fields. Now, the challenge has flipped, with rapidly drying ground and limited rainfall putting spring sowings at risk.
Dr Paola Tosi, an expert in crop science at the University of Reading, said the shift in seasonal patterns is making farm planning increasingly difficult. “Agriculture really depends on seasonal weather patterns, and those have clearly changed a lot,” she said. “It’s very difficult for farmers to decide what to drill and where to plant their crops.”
However, she pointed out that improvements in mid-range forecasting are offering growers more flexibility. “Farmers can increasingly adjust their plans as forecasts improve – but that doesn’t help when the weather extremes are so unpredictable.”
With margins tight and planting windows narrow, farmers say they are increasingly reliant on favourable weather patterns – and right now, many are simply praying for rain.
