Floods may drive up prices of bread, biscuits and beer

BREAD, beer and biscuits may cost more after winter floods and storms led to big losses for British farmers.

- Rebecca Speare-Cole

The deluge may cut harvests by almost a fifth on 2023, a study said.

Production of wheat, barley, oats and oilseed rape may fall by four million tonnes (17.5%), according to analysis from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit.

The non-profit body said forecasts by trade group the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board plus government data suggest the drop may be more than five million, or 21.2%, on the 2015-23 average.

Soared

The winter downpour came after an unusually wet autumn had already cut planting levels.