How extreme weather is impacting farms

The farming community is experiencing severe strain as a result of the unusual weather the UK has seen over the last few years¹. From extreme heat to heavy rainfall, wildly fluctuating temperatures and severe weather events have had ramifications for farmers, the economy, and beyond.

How's winter weather impacting farming operations?

Last February, the south of England saw the wettest month in history since 1836².  The long, wet weather has at times made it impossible for tractors to work the land, while lambs – who are particularly vulnerable to inclement weather – have been dying in increasing numbers³.

Tom Collins, speaker for the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), has said the winter of 2023/24 was, “the worst, absolutely terrible… It’s bad whether you’re an arable, dairy, beef or sheep farmer.”⁴

Both crops and livestock are sensitive to even the slightest changes in temperature. Below are just some of the areas of the agricultural process which have been disrupted by climate change:

• Crop shortages - After the wettest recorded winter to date, almost a quarter of the UK’s wheat harvest was lost⁵. The heavy rains, coupled with late frosts, have meant that seeds are left rotting in the fields and those that have been fortunate enough to grow are in poor condition, littered with weeds.
• Soil health – Unhealthy waterlogged soil can make it very difficult to grow crops.
• Soil erosion – The more water and/or snow, the more soil is transported away. As the soil becomes depleted of its natural organic matter, it becomes vulnerable to erosion⁶.
• Livestock loses – Heavy rainfall and storms can make grazing pastures unusable. As a result, livestock cannot get the nutrition required to develop and, as a result, health problems arise⁷.

Best practices for protecting livestock and crops

The government stipulates three conditions for taking caring of your livestock during extreme cold weather. You must:

• Provide feed and water regularly.
• Keep any troughs of drinking water free of ice for any animals kept outside.
• If pipes are blocked/frozen, you must take water to the animals regularly⁸.

Animals should have access to shelter. If you keep horses or ponies, this must be the case at all times otherwise you must “move or permanently stable them.”⁹

The Soil Association’s approach to regenerative farming  recommends farmers utilise different farming techniques to withstand extreme weather by improving the overall health of their farms. This includes no-till faming, improving soil health, diversifying crops and rotating grazing pastures for regeneration.¹⁰.

What if winter weather damage occurs on a farm?

On 9 April 2024, the UK government announced that financial support is available through the Flood Recovery Framework for farmers and communities that are affected by flooding. If your farm is impacted by the flooding, you can find more information on who to contact here. 

The importance of farm insurance

The effects of climate change aren’t showing any signs of slowing, with extreme weather becoming not only more frequent but more intense, too.  We are now also seeing events in the UK that have not previously been a problem, such as the July 2022 record 40 degrees centigrade temperatures which led to wildfires that caused significant losses.

The increasing temperatures are also increasing rainfall levels, and the frequency of very heavy downpours which makes what were considered rare flood events more common.

That’s why having farm insurance to protect your farm from risks such as fire, windstorm, flood, subsidence, hail damage or even sudden freeze thaws causing burst pipes, is becoming increasingly important. Farm insurance may provide cover for livestock, crops, land, buildings and machinery for your clients’ agricultural businesses.

Consistent with our policy when giving comment and advice on a non-specific basis, we cannot assume legal responsibility for the accuracy of any particular statement. In the case of specific problems, we recommend that professional advice be sought. 

Sources:

  UK farmers consider quitting after extreme wet weather and low profits | Farming | The Guardian
  Dead lambs and 'decimated crops' on rain-soaked farms - BBC News 
  Dead lambs and 'decimated crops' on rain-soaked farms - BBC News 
  Dead lambs and 'decimated crops' on rain-soaked farms - BBC News 
  Failed wheat and hungry cows: farmers count the cost of a wet winter - BBC News
  Erosion 101: Everything You Need to Know About Soil Erosion (nrdc.org)
  Extreme Weather and Its Effect · Agricultural Recruitment Specialists (agrirs.co.uk) 
  Keeping farm animals and horses in extreme weather - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 
  Keeping farm animals and horses in extreme weather - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 
  https://www.soilassociation.org/causes-campaigns/a-ten-year-transition-to-agroecology/regenerative-agriculture-position-statement/