"It's not a very positive picture at the moment": Essex farmer worries about dry weather impacts
It's as the six months between February and July was the driest period since 1976
As the county basks in summer sunshine, an Essex farmer tells us for them, it brings stress for the future of their business.
The past six months, from February to July, have been the driest period since 1976 - a statistic that’s putting immense pressure on those who make their living from the land.
David Lord, who farms near Clacton-on-Sea, paints a stark picture: “We're able to extract water in the winter from the farm and store it, but that's now pretty much gone. We'll need a decent bit of rainfall this winter to refill that. Elsewhere irrigation is just so expensive because of the energy it needs to pump it.”
The lack of rainfall and extreme heat have already resulted in what David describes as a "very bad harvest".
He warns that the implications extend beyond just this year’s yields, as the parched conditions are also hampering the preparation of soil for next year’s crops.
With stores of winter-extracted water now depleted and the price of irrigation skyrocketing due to energy costs, many are looking to the skies in hope of relief.
As David and others in the farming community urge support and understanding from the public and policymakers, their main hope rests on a return of steady, replenishing rain this winter.