Leaked slides from a national drought group meeting have warned that farmers will not be able to grow crops next year if predictions that the drought will last until next summer prove accurate.
The slides show that there are concerns that because reservoirs are still empty due to record dry conditions, the fruit and vegetable supply chain could collapse.
Part of the slide reads thus: “If reservoirs cannot be filled during winter 2022/23, which it is felt could be a possibility, this would have serious implications for businesses, the supply chains and those employed within them.
The slides also have it that confidence is needed by the sector to have access to water to enable cropping plans to be enacted and where confidence is not available, cropping rotations are being reviewed and reductions in areas of irrigated crops/water-hungry crops are being undertaken.
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There were several warnings that it was unlikely that there would be enough rainfall to refill reservoirs and enable normal river flows by next year at the meeting, attended by the Environment Agency, water companies, farmers and other groups.
Recall that on Friday, the government announced that the drought in England was expected to last for many months, with further restrictions on water use under consideration.
Though rainfall levels were average across most of the country in September, this was not enough to dampen the soil and refill reservoirs after a dry and scorching summer. Consistent above-average rainfall is needed throughout the autumn and winter to bring England out of drought, and this is not likely.
This, it is believed, could spell disaster for the agriculture sector, which has already faced reduced yields for crops including potatoes and barley.
At the meeting, the National Trust warned that its sites were running out of water, adding that this would impact its aims to meet net zero carbon emissions as tree planting was a large part of the strategy. It also said that there would probably be fewer flower displays in its gardens next year.
Reservoirs across the country are reported to be currently at exceptionally low levels, with only one major reservoir in the country assessed to be at normal water level for this year, with most others notably or exceptionally low.
Story was adapted from the Guardian.
