British chips really have been left an inch shorter thanks to 2018’s extreme and unpredictable weather, according to a report on the UK’s fruit and vegetable industry.
A prolonged heatwave over the summer was among the hottest on record. Some parts of the country had no rain for as long as 58 days. The dry conditions led to the fourth lowest potato harvest in 60 years, while crops such as carrots and onions also struggled. Yields have been down across Britain and northern Europe.
The report, by a Climate Coalition of environmental and social groups, said last year’s heatwave and drought saw yields of potatoes fall 20 per cent compared to the previous season.
Lee Abbey, from the National Farmers Union, which recently announced it wanted UK farming to become net zero in its greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, said: “A lot of growers will have come out of this year with sore heads and not much income.
