An exceptionally hot and dry summer has led to reduced wheat yields for a Dorset farmer, who reports a 15% drop in production. Peter Snell, owner of North Farm in Horton, Dorset, stated that his eight-acre wheat field, which typically produces enough flour for about 160,000 loaves of bread, will yield only enough for approximately 136,000 loaves this year.
In contrast, Snell's sunflowers have thrived in the heat, with many reaching 6ft in height. He estimates about a million of the 1.3 million sunflower seeds planted germinated, noting that sunflowers, along with maize, quinoa, and millet, are more efficient at photosynthesis than wheat and barley in summer sun.
The farm, which has no irrigation, shows cracked and dry ground. Snell explained that the extreme heat and dry weather caused crops to ripen early, and for those on very drought-prone soils, crops might have died off rather than ripened.
Farmers are also facing an increased risk of field fires. Arable operator Tom Hull described precautions, including using an air compressor to clean combine harvesters and having an intermediate bulk container full of water on hand for fire suppression.