A Countryfile segment delivered a harsh blow just minutes into todays episode.
Today's show dived into the challenges of crop harvesting as Autumn rolls in, taking audiences to a Colchester, Essex farm specialising in potato crops. But it didn't take long for the narrative to turn sober when the hardships faced by the farmers were highlighted.
The commentary provided the lowdown on the dire straits affecting spud growers nationwide: "It's been a tough time for potato farmers across the UK. Too much rain in some areas, too little rain in other areas, coupled with the rising cost of fertiliser has meant harvests have been hit hard this year. So how are they getting on? ".
Cutting over to the agricultural duo, viewers heard firsthand about their experiences this season. Robert detailed the scale of operations, saying, "In total, we farm an area of around three and a half thousand acres," while Laura confessed to how "stressful" the work can be, noting, "We're constantly looking at the weather.", reports .
He relayed their urgency: "Now you're on a race against the clock and the weather before it turns. The only way we can mitigate that is to have the capacity to rush that when the weather is good but we have to invest for that."
Despite the increased investment necessary, this proactive strategy stands as their best chance to ensure a lucrative yield.
Upon returning to the homestead to assess whether their machinery could handle the harvest, however, the show delivered some more unfortunate updates.
Robert detailed: "March, April and May were very wet so that delayed the planting and delayed the harvest. A crop of potatoes being very intensive is around £4,000 per acres to grow. If you compared that to wheat, that's £500 an acre. It's quite a leap. You can soon find yourself in a loss making business. Potatoes has become a very high risk crop."
He revealed that 75 to 80 per cent of the crop was already out the ground, but the farm workers delivered some unwelcome news - the field is too wet to harvest - and thus they couldn't get the crop up.
"We're gonna move 40 minutes down the road and try again," he elaborated, describing how the trailers couldn't navigate through the mud. Robert felt "frustrated" by the weather shift but it wasn't an "unsuprising" encounter, given the delay in planting.
In addition to growing potatoes, the farm also produces crisps in an effort to maintain their income steady throughout the year.
Countryfile airs on BBC One
