More than a century the Taylors have been growing apples in the English county of Essex, but 2022 has been a particularly tough time in the family's history as apples were baked on their branches due to heat wave, reports CNN.
A record-breaking heat wave in July literally baked the apples on their branches, but Philip Taylor, who runs the farm with his nephew, now they have a bigger problem to worry about. The soil under the trees is cracking with dryness, they've had such little rain this spring and summer. Even this past winter, when rainwater typically stores up in the soil to keep it moist for months, just wasn't wet enough.
UK’s Environment Agency on Friday announced that, country's south, southwest and southeast are in drought, along with central and eastern regions, after convening the National Drought Group. Parts of the capital, London, are also affected.
According to the UK Met office, last month England had its driest July since 1935, and the southern part of the country, including Lathcoats Farm, received just 17% of its average rainfall for the month. No meaningful amount of rain is on the horizon either.
Water levels in reservoirs are dropping fast and rivers are drying up. Even the River Thames that flows through London has already shrunk, its first 5 miles dried and disappeared. Thirteen rivers that the Environment Agency monitors are at their lowest levels in history.
But for farmers of thirsty crops like apples, there is no replacement for rain straight from the sky.
Taylor said,"Growing apples is not going to work if we have summers like this every year. Our access to water at the moment is purely from the mains. To give apple trees enough water to produce a decent crop would be way too expensive."
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
