Lincolnshire farmers have voiced worries regarding possible pea shortages in local groceries due to an unexpectedly early harvest caused by long spells of sunshine and arid weather. The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has reported that pea producers in Lincolnshire have seen an up to 30% decrease in this year’s pea crop yields. A farmer from Louth had warned that a reduced yield may lead to a lack in supply. The Met Office has announced that England has gone through its driest spring in over a century, along with the hottest June on record.
The influence of severe weather has been fiercely felt all over Lincolnshire, as three successive heatwaves during June and July worsened conditions. Henry Moreton, a local NFU representative in Lincolnshire, remarked on the grim state of the crops, attributing the extreme heat and lack of water as key factors. He went on to say that the east coast is perfect land for growing peas, but the current weather conditions are unmatched.
Ian Watson, operations manager for Stemgold Peas in Louth, who work in partnership with over 3,500 farms across Lincolnshire, revealed that this year’s harvest had an early start on 4 June, significantly before the typical mid-June beginning. Watson describes the tough conditions with soils being dry and hard, making cultivation challenging. As a result, crops have been considerably sparser, with the quantity of peas per pod reducing by half in some instances.
Watson warns of a looming shortage of UK-grown peas, even though recent rainfall has occurred, the harm caused seems irreversible. The predicament parallels challenges faced further south in Norfolk and East Suffolk, where conditions have been even harsher.
As local pea growers endeavour to adjust to these environmental adversities, the focus turns to developing more robust pea varieties that can endure such intense weather patterns in future.
The original version of this story is credited to www.bbc.com and has been adapted for The Lincoln Post.
