Spalding area farmer fears a potato shortage due to drought

As temperatures soar in another heatwave, shoppers are being warned that a potato shortage looms as the drought bites.

South Holland has endured one of the driest Julys on local record with just 8.9mm of rain falling - and this lack of water is preventing many crops from thriving.

The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for extreme heat from today until today (Sunday) - when temperatures are forecast to hit the 31C mark. Government officials declared a drought in Lincolnshire earlier this week.

Farmer Andrew Branton is having to irrigate his potato crop 24 hours a day - but is seeing lower yields and smaller tubers, which he fears will be more expensive for customers.

Mr Branton, who farms in the Spalding and Crowland area, said: “I think there will be a shortage and I think the shortage won’t be just in this country but Europe.

“We normally import a lot of potatoes and I can see a reduction as they will be needed on the continent.

“The advice I would give to people is open your eyes, look at what is going on around you. If you have a garden and the lawn is suffering imagine what crops like potatoes, which need a huge amount of water, are like. Don’t believe the stuff the supermarkets are telling you that there is an abundance of cheap food - that is over.”

Mr Branton says he is pumping water 24 hours a day to irrigate his crops and thanked his team for doing this along with bringing in the harvest.

He also said that some applications of water are used to improve the appearance of the vegetable to prevent it looking ugly.