Vegetable 'disaster' as Riverford reservoirs run dry

This year has been dubbed the worst in 35 years by Riverford founder Guy Singh-Watson

The founder of a vegetable growing company in Devon has said the ongoing dry spell has caused its reservoirs to completely run dry.

Describing it as "a bit of a disaster" Riverford founder Guy Singh-Watson said this year was "the worst year in 35 years" in terms of water levels.

Riverford Organic Farmers, based in Buckfastleigh, was founded in 1986.

Only twice since then has the company not had enough water to keep its crops growing.

Riverford provides seasonal, organic vegetable boxes and has a sustainable approach to both its farming and distribution methods.

Mr Singh-Watson said: "This is the worst year we've had in 35 years.

"We have run out of water before in 2018, but never this early."

This dried-out land would usually be filled with water

It comes as an amber heat health alert is in force across the whole of the South West.

Also, the Met office is warning of extreme heat for parts of the region from Thursday until Sunday.

South West Water said it could bring in water restrictions if there was more "exceptional demand" and longer spells of dry weather.

Water levels at some of its reservoirs are understood to be below the level of the previous drought year in 1995.

The water provider said it would monitor the situation but it may have to bring in "formal restrictions over the coming weeks".

'Quality issues'

Mr Singh-Watson said the dry spell meant Riverford had not been able to irrigate its crops.

He said: "We have a lot of vegetables with very shallow rooting, particularly the salads, and if you don't irrigate them, they die, or they may get to harvest but you'll have quality issues.

"They will wilt and develop rots and so on.

"So we are losing crops. They're not making it to harvest. They won't be in the veg boxes.

"It's a bit of a disaster."

Mr Singh-Watson said Riverford did have a license to pump a "modest amount" of water from a small nearby stream.

He said Riverford farmers are usually very reluctant to do this because of the impact this could have on the ecology of the stream but he said this year they had been left with little other choice.

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