The ongoing rainy weather has also resulted in a high death rate for lambs on the UK's hills, and some dairy cows have been unable to be moved out onto grass, resulting in less milk production.
Agricultural groups have stated that the UK will become increasingly dependant on imports; however, comparable wet weather in European countries such as France and Germany, along with the drought in Morocco, may result in less food to import.
Economists have cautioned that this could lead to increased food inflation and higher shop prices.
Tom Bradshaw, president of the National Farmers' Union, said markets had "collapsed" as farmers failed to produce food under the harsh conditions.
He remarked: "We're going to be importing a lot more product this year."
One prominent retailer said that the wholesale cost of potatoes had risen by 60% year on year since the majority of the crops had withered in the ground.
Potato supplies have also been impacted by a 10% reduction in area planted last year as farmers transitioned to less weather-dependent and more financially secure crops. Industry insiders predicted a further 5% drop in planting this year.Jack Ward, CEO of the British Growers Association, declared: "There is a concern that we won't have the volumes [of potatoes] we had in the past in the future."
(More here)
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