Farmer's 'most difficult harvest'

Jack Storey says heavy rain is causing wheat to sprout, affecting its quality

Jack Storey, 45, began the year hoping to gain enough profit from the farm he runs with his two brothers to allow them to significantly reinvest in its 950 acres for the first time in a decade.

But every day this month he has woken to find heavy rain soaking his land near Morpeth in Northumberland, rendering his fields unworkable.

"I've been farming since 1981 and this is the most difficult harvest in memory," said the father-of-three.

Tractors should be flying across the fields but instead I find myself sitting in the house like it's the middle of winter Jack Storey, farmer

"People are going into the fields and their combine harvesters are sinking. Potentially the grain is so wet it just can't be harvested at the moment anyway. The combines just won't cut it properly.

"Grain is sprouting and quality is going over a cliff. It means it can only be used for basic jobs such as animal feed."

The optimism created by last year's high wheat prices has been destroyed.

"Tractors should be flying across the fields but instead I find myself sitting in the house like it's the middle of winter," he said.

With the grain sodden, he says the time and cost of drying it has tripled.

Out of pocket

Like many farmers, having "forward-sold" to grain merchants on the basis of projected yield, Mr Storey and his brothers face having to buy in grain to fulfill their contractual obligations.

If they cannot bring in some high-grade wheat from the remaining 40% of their crop which needs harvesting, they could be �75,000 out of pocket. And it could get worse.

Mr Storey fears this year will be the first in 22 they will be unable to get their winter rape in the ground in time.

Any later than mid-September and the weather will be too cold for the young plants to survive.

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