4 May 2011

For much of the UK April has been the hottest and driest since records began. Just 2.3mm of rain fell on central southern England, 4% of the 52.6mm average for the month. Furthermore this follows the driest March on record ever recorded.

In France, the North in particular, April 2011 was the second warmest (after 2007) since 1900, with a temperature 4°C above average. Seasonal forecasts by Meteo France have shown that average temperatures could remain above average for the coming few months.

The resultant drought, exacerbated by abnormally high temperatures, has taken a toll on agricultural activity.  On 19 April, it was reported by France’s technical centre for oilseed crops that in the Central Region water requirements for the rapeseed crop had surpassed the available moisture within the first 10 days of the month. In Loire-Atlantique, the chamber of agriculture has expressed “great concern” over the lack of water. Jacques Lemaître, the chamber’s president said, “May is the most crucial month for the industry, if we have to deal with another dry month the damage will be catastrophic.”

The lack of water has affected cereals, with reports of poor wheat growth and oilseed rape crops weakened and attacked by parasites being particularly high. Lemaître said, “No matter what happens, the yields of these crops will be way down.” However, for him, the gravest concern is ensuring an adequate amount of forage, a real problem in an area dominated by livestock farming (Loire-Atlantique has 4,000 livestock farms).

Mickaël Trichet, president of the Young Farmers Union expressed his dejection at the prospect of another dry year; “The little grass that does grow is consumed immediately.” He said, “At this rate we won’t have enough stock to last through the winter. The silos have already been depleted by a lack of water since the end of 2009.”

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In France

Painting a bleak picture for French agriculture, French oilseed monitoring centre, Cetiom reported that “Numerous” areas have flowering difficulties related to water stress from a lack of moisture or poor rooting, damage to buds from freezing in March and a lack of supply of crop nutrients nitrogen and sulphur . Several regions in the north of France announced wilting rapeseed crops towards the end of April. The reports came from regions which produce 60% of the country’s oilseed rape.

Research centres have said that rain within the next two weeks will help alleviate the situation, though wheat and rapeseed were yesterday described as being “in jeopardy” by an American meteorologist. Winter crops and recently planted spring crops in parts of the UK, France and Northern Germany are suffering.

In UK

Dave Norris, an independent feed broker in North Yorkshire, told Reuters, “Unfortunately we don’t have any [rain] in the forecast this week, so next week could be crucial.”

Norris added, “Earlier-maturing winter crops are likely to be worst affected without rain, so at the moment that means barley and rapeseed. Spring-planted crops haven’t got off to a good start either, with very little moisture since they got planted, which again means barley and rapeseed.”

Reports from agronomists in England say there is concern over pod set in late flowering oilseed rape with some crops bearing very few pods. Crops typically show withered flower buds and bare stalks, although there is faint hope that rain within the next 7 days could turn these crops around.

Winter wheat crops on light land are also suffering and as soil water deficits continue to climb crops on stiffer land will soon show drought stress symptoms too. Research on drought tolerance in wheat suggests that early flowering varieties correlated with favourable distribution of seasonal water use with respect to the grain filling period.

In Germany

The German Farmers Association (DBV) today announced a sharp decline in prospected harvest volumes for the nation’s oilseed rape crop. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the region with the largest oilseed rape acreage, farmers have been told to expect crop losses of up to 30 percent. The association also announced that cereals barley and wheat had been affected by the dry weather, though not as severely.

In The US

Reuters also reported today that drought in the U.S. southern Great Plains also may curb production, boosting prices further and increasing costs for bread and cereal makers. Wheat yields may fall in north-central Kansas and southern Nebraska from a year ago, according to data from the Wheat Quality Council’s annual crop tour.

Water Restrictions

While in the UK the Environment Agency has said it currently has no plans to restrict farmers’ abstraction licenses thus far, there is still concern over the amount of water available for crops and whether this will affect the plants’ ability to produce seed.

In areas of France, where the drought is widespread, “drought committees” have been assembled to ensure adequate amounts of forage are amassed. In Isère, the Nature Protection Federation (Fédération de protection de la nature) has expressed concern. “I have never seen the water this low in April” claimed Jacques Galtié, spokesperson for the Federation, “Irrigation of crop fields will have to begin soon.”

However, faced with the weather warnings from Meteo France, The Ministry of Ecology has announced water restrictions in nine départements. There may be more to follow.