British farmers will collectively lose around £600 million after poor growing conditions produced the second worst wheat harvest on record.
New figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs show that the UK wheat harvest will fall to 11.1 million tonnes in 2024, compared to 14 million tonnes the year before.
This is the lowest level since 2020, when pandemic disruptions took a significant toll on crop yields. Wet weather, which hampered seeding and stunted crop growth, was a primary factor, although wheat acreage also shrank by 11 percent.
Tom Lancaster of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit said the dismal harvests mean a £600m blow to British agriculture. “This year’s harvest was a shock, and climate change is to blame,” he said. “The consequences will only get worse unless we reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero.”
Other crops also suffered from the challenging conditions. According to Matt Daragh of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, “cereals and oilseed rape production in Britain was under significant pressure,” especially for winter-sown varieties. For wheat, barley, oats and rapeseed, production has fallen by 13 percent this year to 20 million tons.
The poor harvest figures come as the agricultural sector struggles with a series of policy changes and financial pressures. Farmers staged protests and blocked roads this week in a bid to stop the government from introducing a new inheritance tax regime that will limit long-standing exemptions for agricultural ownership. Under the planned changes, farmers will only pass on land tax-free if they survive for seven years afterward, raising fears that some will take drastic action due to the stress and uncertainty.
Tom Bradshaw, chairman of the National Farmers’ Union, warned MPs that the looming tax changes could push vulnerable farmers to commit suicide. At a time when disappointing harvests and extreme weather are already putting pressure on profits, the policy change could further undermine the resilience of the UK agricultural sector.