Britain has become the most recent victim of extreme weather; it just experienced the wettest autumn and coldest spring in 50 years. This devastating event forced British food manufacturers to import almost 3m tons of crop.
Britain is Europe’s 3rd biggest wheat crop grower but for the first time in eleven years, it will become an importer. Senior analyst at the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, Charlotte Garbutt said:
“Normally we export around 2.5m tons of wheat but this year we expect to have to import 2.5m tons. The crop that came through the winter has struggled and is patchy and variable. The area of wheat grown this year has been much smaller.”
This decrease in wheat crop harvest will surely add to the growing concerns of farmers, manufacturers, and consumers alike.