A farmer has mentioned the moist climate has left her struggling to usher in the harvest and lower her income by a 3rd.
Eleanor Gilbert, a farmer close to Thatcham mentioned the necessity to dry damp crops was driving up prices for her enterprise.
The chair of the NFU Combinable Crops Board mentioned the subsequent 10 days could be essential for grain crops.
The UK’s climate has been unsettled, with widespread rain and cooler temperatures which might be forecast to proceed into subsequent week.
Ms Gilbert, a farmer at Rookery Farm close to Thatcham, mentioned: “We won’t bodily mix the crop if it is too moist as a result of it will not undergo our massive machines.”
The grains must be cleaned, graded, sorted and transformed into an edible type, however with a view to do that they must be saved and dry.
She added: “The grain should not be greater than 15% moist in any other case we get rejected on the processors.”
Drying prices are costly for farmers, Ms Gilbert informed the BBC, and at the moment the crop is “coming off at 18% and are being rejected”.
Final week she mentioned misplaced 36% of her revenue as a result of the crop “was a little bit bit too moist”.
NFU Combinable Crops Board chair Matt Culley mentioned: “The worth of drying crops may be very costly with rising price of electrical energy.”
Mr Culley, who can be an arable farmer from Bourne Valley close to Andover, mentioned: “I am not seeing a detrimental impression in the intervening time however can affirm it is a gradual begin to the harvest.”
Ms Gilbert is urging the general public to maneuver over in case you see a mix tractor on the roads, as a result of they’ve restricted time to get the harvest full.
She mentioned: “Assist us get to the place we have to quicker as a result of we’re working 16-20 hour days making an attempt to get combining completed by the evening when its dry.”
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