Poor grain harvest expected

FARMING

The UK is facing its worst grain harvest for many years, farmers were warned this week. Prices for grain are at a 20-year low, and there are significant shortfalls with the quality of this year's crop. Paul Kirk, chief executive of Dalgety Agriculture said this week that 1997 would be "the most challenging harvest for UK farmers for many years." Prices were at a 20-year low, he said, and the quality problems stemmed from extreme weather conditions. There was a drought over much of the country early in the year, followed by a cold wet June. Heavy rain last month delayed the harvest.

Dalgety forecasts that the total grain harvest this year would be 23.5 million tonnes, down a million tonnes on last year. Most of the reduction is in the wheat crop.