Farmers' concerns for crops in drought weather

Colin Rayner has been a farmer for 51 years

A farmer who planned to harvest his crops at the end of June is hesitating due to the risk of wildfires which has delayed his work by three weeks.

Colin Rayner uses combine harvesters and balers and said that when the fields are dry the machines may cause a spark which will set fire to the crops.

"If the fire gets out of control it will leave my farm and get into people's houses and we have schools surrounding our fields."

Another farmer George Brown is concerned about the quality of his oats and barley as he had to collect them early.

Colin Rayner said that they had two minor fires this year in his farm

Mr Rayner has been a farmer for 51 years in his family farm in Maidenhead which was established in 1551.

He grows barley, wheat, maize, sunflower, oilseeds rape and has some cattle and sheep.

Mr Rayner hesitated to harvest these crops which he planned on the 30 June "The risk was too great for my men and machinery and the public at wide and the fire and rescue service."

The farmer had two minor fires this year and has delayed harvest till the land is less dry "luckily it didn't spread too quickly."

If there is rain in the coming days Mr Rayner hopes to harvest next week which would be a three-week delay in harvest when timing is crucial for farmers.

George Brown had to harvest his crops a month earlier than usual

Hot and dry weather have caused farmers in Berkshire to harvest up to a month earlier than usual - having an impact on yields and quality of the crops.

Mr Brown who grows porridge oats, spring barley and white clover on Priors Farm in Peasemore near Newbury shares the same concerns as Mr Rayner.

"We had a very wet winter, and it kept raining till the end of February, so planting was difficult this spring and ever since February we had almost no rain in the farm."

His concern is the quality of the crops.

"Just the massive amount of dry weather there is concerns whether they have actually fully ripened [...] we can't really tell until we harvest it."

George Brown said he won't know the quality of his crops till it gets harvested

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue service said after the dry weather, the risk of wildfire across the country is 'substantial'. In the past few days they have responded to "a significant number of fires in the open, especially in rural areas."