Despite analysts predictably blaming "climate change", the reality is that it's unseasonal cold and wet conditions—exactly the opposite of the warm, dry future they've long forecasted—that have devastated the growing season.
Wine production has suffered the biggest losses, as you might expect, with some regions seeing yields plummet by 75%. Wheat output is down 21%, while winter barley and oilseed rape have declined 26% and 32%. The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) estimates a £600m hit for farmers, as key crop production slumped 15% overall.
The persistently cold and soggy conditions stunted growth and delayed planting, forcing a costly shift to less productive spring crops. Vineyards were plagued by mold and disease, and grape yields, particularly across the southwest, have proven a disaster.
The alarmist predictions are once again failing to match reality—cold, not heat, is ruining the harvest. Yet the climate advocates persist in distorting the facts to fit their narrative:
[The Guardian—who else]
Spring and summer were anomalously cool, but autumn has begun with record lows and hard frosts—with more to come:
GFS 2m Temperature Anomalies for Oct 13 [tropicaltidbits.com].
Russia To -28.1C (-18.6F)
Labaznaya, a remote area in Russia situated at an elevation of 707 meters (2,320 feet), reached -28.1C (-18.6F) on October 11:
Farmers know the real deal because they read the weather and know the cycles.