‘It’s a grim picture’ - Shropshire farmers lament the ‘second worst harvest on record’ as they suffer from summer heatwave
The county's farmers have said they are facing a “double-whammy” of low yields and flatlining prices, as official figures suggest this year's harvest is set to be among the worst in living memory.
Last week, provisional data from Defra suggested that this year’s harvest is likely to be the second worst since records began.
According to an analysis of the Defra figures by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), yields are set to be lower than previous estimates across most crops, making 2025 the second worst harvest since records began in 1984.
It comes as the second poor harvest in a row after 2024, and three of the worst harvests on record this decade.
Shropshire farmers say the lack of rain in the spring and summer, which followed a wet autumn and winter last year, is to blame.
Rory Lay who has farmed at Wolverley, Wem for the last 25 years, says the county has been hit very hard.
“Across Shropshire it has been terrible this year. While the quality has been good, the yields have been really down.
“It is completely down to the lack of rain that followed two really wet winters. This is probably the worst cereal harvest we’ve had here in the last 25 years.
“A lot of fields have seen half the yields that we expected.”
He added that while arable farmers are feeling the effects of the poor harvest now, there maybe a knock on effect for livestock producers this winter.
