Farms unprepared for sudden shocks, Oxfordshire farmer warns

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 15 Oct, 06:03 · Archive

Arable farming is unprepared for sudden global crises, a leading Oxfordshire farmer has warned.

Harry Metcalfe, a 67-year-old arable farmer in Shilton near Burford, warned a Commons committee that the farming industry is unprepared for sudden global shocks. He cited Putin's war on Ukraine, rising fuel prices, dwindling supplies and changing climate as particular threats. Metcalfe said 2025 was his worst harvest 'by a country mile' since he began farming in 1984, and that four of his worst harvests on his 300-acre Cotswolds farm have occurred since 2020.

Metcalfe compared arable farming to running a factory without a roof, where output depends on weather beyond farmers' control. He noted that while some discuss reservoirs as solutions, the costs of installing and using them to irrigate crops are prohibitively high. He added that cash flow pressures prevent him from investing in resilience measures even if they were affordable.

He acknowledged that the 2022 energy crisis following Russia's invasion of Ukraine initially benefited farmers. Ukraine and Russia, as major grain producers, saw prices rise when supplies were disrupted. However, he emphasised the broader vulnerability of arable farming to external shocks.

How it is being reported

• Farms 'not prepared for sudden shocks', leading Oxfordshire farmer saysThe farming industry is not prepared for sudden global shocks, a leading Oxfordshire farmer has warned.Oxfordshire Guardian · 15 Oct, 05:00
• Farms 'not prepared for sudden shocks', leading Oxfordshire farmer saysThe farming industry is not prepared for sudden global shocks, a leading Oxfordshire farmer has warned.Oxford Mail · 15 Oct, 05:00

In this story: Harry Metcalfe · Oxfordshire · Shilton · Burford · Ukraine · Russia · Cotswolds

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