Wiltshire farmer 'heartbroken' as weather hits wheat crop

Mr Collins said he is "heart broken" to lose much of his harvest to the wet weather

A farmer says it is "heart breaking" to see his crops battered by unseasonal weather.

The wet weather in July has made it harder to harvest wheat, barley and hay.

Tom Collins, who farms near Chippenham in Wiltshire, said the heavy rain meant the combine harvester could not pick up as much wheat.

Mr Collins said: "I've been growing this stuff all year and to lose it now is heartbreaking."

Due to the rainy weather, combine harvesters cannot pick up as much wheat

Mr Collins supplies McVities and Ryvita with wheat for biscuits, and his barley is used for cattle feed.  

He said he has noticed the weather being very unpredictable in the last few years due to climate change. 

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"It is actually a lot worse than I thought," he said. "And without selling it [his crops], we cannot reclaim the costs."

Mr Collins said he has noticed the weather being more unpredictable due to climate change

On top of the difficult harvest, drying the wheat before selling it costs Mr Collins an extra £300 per day.A spokesperson for the National Farmers Union (NFU) said: "Farmers are used to dealing with challenges during harvest, including the weather, and they are working hard to ensure business as usual - which means taking every opportunity to get out with the combine during breaks in the rain.

"More extreme weather events mean that it's now getting harder to produce food for the nation each year.

"Our farmers need to know that government is supporting them through policies that build profitability and resilience into farm businesses to allow us to unlock a thriving food and farming industry."