Retford 'one of country's driest areas'

RETFORD is one of the driest areas of the country, according to soil tests conducted across Britain.

The tests revealed Retford's soil has barely the minimum amount of moisture plants need to survive.

Here, the Sunday Telegraph experiment found the soil moisture content below the surface was measured at only 7.8 per cent, similar to that recorded in deserts in Israel and California.

Despite the rain of the last week, rivers and reservoirs in Notts and the East Midlands remain low for this time of year, says the Country Land and Business Association.

The Environment Agency is expected to declare official drought status for the Midlands this week.

The rural watchdog's regional director Andrew Shirley says this will mean a crackdown on farmers taking water from rivers to irrigate fields, increasing the risk of failed crops and causing the cost of food to rise sharply.

"Ultimately, it could mean hosepipe bans as well but I'm more concerned about the impact on farming and wildlife," said Mr Shirley.

"Recent rain may have made crops look green but it has not helped to grow grain. Wheat and barley will be affected and if this carries on through the summer, we will have drastically reduced crops," he said.

These concerns were echoed by Wiseton cereal farmer James Langley.

"In this area the lack of rain has been a big problem," he said. "Yields will be down 15-20 per cent, and it's a double-whammy because I've never seen the straw so low."