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‘It’s too fast, too big’: speed of climate crisis is devastating crops, say farmers

The Guardian Environment Friday 31 July 2026, 11:00 UTC By Pippa Neill 1 min read
Key Points

Drought and extreme heat are killing plants, driving up prices while also making some farms economically unviable“It’s a constant battle,” says Tim Young. He and his family have been tracking the rainfall on their Norfolk farm since 1976, and the data shows the last six years have seen two-thirds the amount of rain compared with previous years. The lack of water has become the number one risk to Young’s business.

Drought and extreme heat are killing plants, driving up prices while also making some farms economically unviable

“It’s a constant battle,” says Tim Young. He and his family have been tracking the rainfall on their Norfolk farm since 1976, and the data shows the last six years have seen two-thirds the amount of rain compared with previous years. The lack of water has become the number one risk to Young’s business.

This summer has seen record-breaking climate induced heatwaves scorch much of Europe, which combined with droughts and “apocalyptic” wildfires has made farming virtually impossible. France has faced down fires that its president, Emmanuel Macron, called the worst since the second world war and on Wednesday half of England was declared officially in drought, with July expected to be the driest on record after winter floods, according to the Environment Agency. So how are farmers bearing up under the pressure?

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unviable“It (ORG) Tim Young (PERSON) Norfolk (LOCATION) Young (PERSON) Europe (LOCATION) France (LOCATION) Emmanuel Macron (PERSON) England (LOCATION) the Environment Agency (ORG)
Originally published by The Guardian Environment Read original →

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‘It’s too fast, too big’: speed of climate crisis is devastating crops, say farmers

Drought and extreme heat are killing plants, driving up prices while also making some farms economically unviable“It’s a constant battle,” says Tim Young. He and his family have been tracking the rainfall on their Norfolk farm since 1976, and the data shows the last six years have seen two-thirds the amount of rain compared with previous years. The lack of water has become the number one risk to Young’s business.

The Guardian Business 1h ago

‘It’s too fast, too big’: speed of climate crisis is devastating crops, say farmers

Drought and extreme heat are killing plants, driving up prices while also making some farms economically unviable“It’s a constant battle,” says Tim Young. He and his family have been tracking the rainfall on their Norfolk farm since 1976, and the data shows the last six years have seen two-thirds the amount of rain compared with previous years. The lack of water has become the number one risk to Young’s business.

The Guardian UK 1h ago