FARMERS across Wiltshire are praying for rain as the NFU called a summit in London on Wednesday to seek urgent action to address the crippling impact of the dry, hot weather.

Many parts of England and Wales haven’t seen any significant rain since the end of May, resulting in tinderbox conditions, severely reduced grass growth and depleted yields for some crops.

In Wiltshire, farmers are struggling to cope with the conditions, with sheep, dairy and beef cattle farmers praying for rain to refresh the grass on which their animals feed.

Mark Jeffery, the Wiltshire NFU chairman, said some farmers are having to sell their animals into a depressed market, or cull their livestock and send them to abattoirs because they can’t afford to feed them.

“The situation is pretty desperate for some. We had some rain last weekend but it’s not enough.

“The fields are really parched. Because of the lack of grass, some farmers are having to feed first-cut silage or special supplements to their stock and that costs.”

Meanwhile, arable farmers are making hay while the sun shines and expect to complete harvesting within the next two weeks.

Nick Bush, 69, who farms 1,100 acres at Ebbdown Farm near Marshfield, said: “We expect to finish harvesting by next week, but we’re getting disappointing yields. They are below average.”

The emergency summit took place at the NFU’s London headquarters as the drought placed further pressure on livestock and dairy farmers.

NFU policy experts and commodity board chairmen met representatives from other farming organisations to discuss what can be done to help mitigate the impact of the ongoing hot spell.

They included Defra, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) and farming charities RABI and Farming Community Network.

NFU President Minette Batters, who chaired the meeting at the NFU’s London offices, said: “The situation on the ground is hugely challenging across all sectors.

“There could be serious concerns for many farmers if this extended spell of warmer, drier weather continues as the long-range forecast suggests.

“I know some areas are expected to see thunderstorms and rain over the next couple of days but that won’t mitigate the many issues farmers are experiencing.

“It is vital that we come up with a plan and solutions to the issues that are now emerging across the industry.

That’s why the NFU is calling this emergency summit in an attempt to look at ways to alleviate the pressures that are building on many farmers and growers.

“This unprecedented spell of weather really should be a wake-up call for us all. It’s a timely reminder that we shouldn’t take food production for granted. “Farming is one of the most affected industries when it comes to managing volatility.

“Farmers have been fantastic advocates for change and are constantly adapting their businesses to deal with the challenges they face every day such as the weather.

“We need Government policies that invest in our sector and to support the vital work of farmers as food producers.”

Areas of concern for the farming industry include short and long-term challenges including:

• availability of forage for livestock and dairy farmers meaning producers being forced to eat into winter fodder supplies;

• available water resources for irrigated crops and abstraction restrictions for some farmers; and

• growing conditions for cereals and rain-fed crops and a risk of standing crop fires.