North Yorkshire farmer Tim Rooke is experiencing a significant decline in his potato harvest due to this summer's prolonged dry spell and extreme heat, which have reduced yields by about 4%. Farmer Richard Bramley near Selby anticipates a 20% to 25% drop in crop yield. Both farmers attribute these losses to climate change, noting that potatoes require at least 200ml of rain or other water for growth but received only around 35ml this year. DEFRA has acknowledged the issue with a £65 million package and is forming a new taskforce to address climate risks.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
This summer, British farmers faced significant challenges due to prolonged hot and dry weather, leading to smaller potato yields. Chief executive of growers' association GB Potatoes, Scott Walker, noted that shoppers should expect fewer large varieties on store shelves this year. North Yorkshire farmer Tim Rooke reported a loss of about two tonnes in every fifty tonnes harvested because the potatoes did not grow to the desired size due to early harvesting caused by crop stress from lack of water and extreme heat. The potato crops typically require 200ml of rain or irrigation, but received only around 35ml this year, with temperatures soaring above the optimal growth limit of 28°C. Rooke warned that future enthusiasm for growing potatoes may wane as climate change continues to affect crop yields, making it an expensive endeavor without proper government support. Farmer Richard Bramley near Selby echoed similar concerns and called for interest-free loans from the government to help farmers invest in necessary infrastructure or adaptation measures.
Written for “Climate Change Impacts Potatoes” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.30, but all 2 of its quote(s) are attributed speech - words the article quotes from someone, not the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 64835: attributed speech only · logged 2026-10-08
- Published
As the roller shutter door opens to reveal one of Tim Rooke's potato stores, the harvest looks impressive.
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harvest → publish → stores
Seven hundred tonnes are kept in this building alone, ready to be turned into crisps.
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tonnes → keep → crisps
He plucks a large potato from the pile and in his other hand, places two much smaller ones.
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He → pluck → ones
"We've probably lost two tonnes on every fifty tonnes in here, potatoes that have just fallen through the graders because they are far too small.
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they → lose → graders
The prolonged dry spell this summer meant his crop was beginning to die.
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crop → mean → ?
He was forced to harvest early, but that meant his potatoes hadn't grown to the size his customers want.
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customers → force → size
They are a very expensive crop to grow," says Tim when the BBC visits his farm near Helmsley.
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BBC → grow → Helmsley
"There's less enthusiasm to have the expense of growing that crop when we have some sort of climate change hitting us year after year after year.
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sort → be → year
We're nearly getting to the stage where enough is enough.
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enough → get → stage
"Most potatoes require 200ml of rain or other water and this year they've had about 35ml.
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they → require → 35ml
Potatoes don't bulk up above 28°C.
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Potatoes → bulk → C
I think we've had 40 days above that."
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we → think → that
It's a similar story of falling crop yields near Selby, where farmer Richard Bramley would like the government to provide interest-free loans to farmers so they can invest.
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they → fall → farmers
"We think our potatoes will be 20 to 25% down," he says.
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he → think → ?
"We have to generate the income not just to live, but to produce the following year's crop.
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We → have → crop
That's the dilemma so many farmers find themselves in a the moment.
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farmers → find → moment
"Off the back of two, maybe three really bad years, the resilience in the farming industry is starting to break down.
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resilience → start → industry
I think we certainly have a problem, quite when it will really manifest itself I am not entirely sure."
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I → think → itself
A statement from the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) confirmed the issue is on Andy Burnham's desk.
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issue → confirm → desk
"Food security is national security and one of the Prime Minister's first visits was meeting farmers hit by drought and dry weather, announcing a £65m package."
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one → meet → package
It added: "We're going further to address the risks of climate change and nature loss - including a new taskforce to strengthen climate security."
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We → add → security
Scott Walker, chief executive of growers' association GB Potatoes, said shoppers should expect fewer large varieties of potato on the shelves this year.
"The prolonged hot and dry weather placed significant pressure on the British crop and has restricted the growth of potatoes.
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weather → say → potatoes
With harvesting still under way, we will not know the full impact until the crop has been lifted, but as well as fewer potatoes there will be fewer large potatoes this year.
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crop → know → impact
"Consumers are likely to notice this most with baking potatoes, where the sizes available will be smaller than usual.
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sizes → notice → potatoes
"The supply chain is extremely good at making the best use of the crop that is available, so consumers will continue to find good quality potatoes and potato products that are good value for money."
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that → make → money
Back in Helmsley, Tim Rooke wants changes to planning laws to make it easier to build and run water storage lagoons, capturing winter rain and using it in the summer.
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it → want → summer
We need a more relaxed attitude to allow this to happen.
"
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this → need → attitude
The weather has certainly altered in this area.
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weather → alter → area
We have to adapt and it's time we started or we're going to end with not many potato farmers left in this country."
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farmers → have → country
The Aporia
