A FARMER from Buckinghamshire is watching a "year's hard work decreasing by the day" due to the constant rain.

Farmers wanting to bring in their harvests are facing a tough summer season as wet weather sweeps across the UK.

Last month was the UK’s sixth wettest July on record, with an average of 140.1mm of rain across the month.

Forecasters believe a change in the weather will not come until the second half of August.

Richard Heady, who runs a mixed arable farm in north Buckinghamshire, said grains need to be harvested at about a 14 per cent moisture level and up to an 18 per cent moisture level if a farmer pays for drying.

However, Mr Heady estimated the moisture level on Wednesday was around the 30 per cent mark.

He said: “The main problem is that the longer the grains are out there, the quality is decreasing the whole time so we grow a lot of milling wheat, which is hopefully going to go out to make bread.

“But if they’re standing in the field and are not harvested for a while, the quality decreases so much that they no longer make the specification and we have to sell them for livestock feed.”

Another issue, he said, was the warmest UK June on record which has caused some crops to “die off early”.

Mr Heady added: “We’re kind of sat back at the minute just watching the value of a year’s work just decreasing by the day.

“We’re not in dire straits yet. As long as we get some dry weather within the next two weeks we’ll be able to crack on and get something in the shed before it completely ruins.”