Experts Warn of Mass Crop Failures in England Amid Hosepipe Ban Uncertainty

A drought was declared across much of the United Kingdom on Friday, with farmers immediately calling for hosepipe bans to be introduced in order to save water and prioritize food production. However, not every region has imposed such a ban.

Experts have warned of mass crop failures in England amid reluctance of several regions to introduce hosepipe bans in the wake of a drought being declared in 14 regions of the country, The Guardian reported, citing leaked documents from a meeting of the National Drought Group.

According to the experts cited by the newspaper, half of the potato crop is expected to fail due to lack of irrigation, and even drought-tolerant crops, such as maize, have been failing recently. The group warned that "irrigation options are diminishing with reservoirs being emptied fast,” predicting losses of 10-50% for crops including carrots, onions, sugar beets, apples, and hops.

Additionally, the water crisis has also impacted milk production, which is down nationally because of a lack of food for cows and the risk posed by wildfires to large areas of farmland.

Water companies such as Anglian Water, Southern Water, and South West Water have not imposed hosepipe bans, with Thames Water only awaiting a ban next week despite calls to refrain from using hosepipes to save water. Yorkshire Water, in its turn, has announced that a hosepipe ban will come into force in the region on August 26.

Such a ban prohibits citizens from watering their garden or plants, cleaning vehicles or boats, walls or windows of domestic premises, filling swimming pools, and drawing water for domestic recreational use while using a hosepipe.

Similar bans were imposed in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight on August 5. The ban went into effect in Kent and Sussex on Friday and will come into force in Pembrokeshire and Wales on August 19.

The water crisis follows an unprecedented heatwave that the UK faced in July, with temperatures surpassing 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in the middle of the month.