leaf Green GB Week British farmers are bracing for a high cost winter after the worst drought in a generation decimated harvests of livestock feed for the colder months, the farmers’ union has warned.
The extreme weather is set to compound the sector’s slide deeper into debt while the pressure to play a part in cutting greenhouse gas emissions mounts.
Agriculture accounts for 10pc of the UK’s total emissions, according to official data, but the sector takes a disproportionate brunt of their harmful effects.
The union has argued that it can reduce emissions and become more productive, if Government supports investment in new technology.
The worst drought since 1976 dealt a body blow to farmers during the crucial months in which the grass and grain used as livestock feed is grown ahead of the winter.
“Farmers are clear that their fathers and grandfathers experienced difficult weather and drought and floods, but we seem to be experiencing it on a more regular basis.
That makes farming more challenging,” Mr Smith said.
He warned against a rising reliance on imports from countries with lower environmental standards in a bid to reduce domestic emissions.
Technology has a key role to play in ensuring that farmers can decrease their carbon footprints without decreasing how much they produce, which would offer major economic benefits too.
Satellite-guided tractors, and robotics have increased the accuracy of field work to within a centimetre and heightened the precision of pesticide and fertilizer use.