National Trust estate faces shortage of hay due to drought conditions

As National Trust estate Wimpole Estate in Cambridgeshire faces a hay shortage – with the estate normally producing 150 tonnes down to nothing due to drought conditions – David Denny, director of research and knowledge transfer at the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), believes that adapting to climate change needs to become a strategic priority.

He said: “The situation at Wimpole Estate shows how climate change is already putting pressure on the systems that support our environment, food, nature and communities. Adapting to that change needs to become a strategic priority, rather than something we respond to each time extreme weather hits.

“Green infrastructure has an important role to play in that adaptation. Trees, plants and green spaces can provide shade and cooling, help manage rainfall, support biodiversity, and make our towns and cities, as well as the countryside and rural communities, more resilient to extreme weather. We need to start thinking about this infrastructure the same way we think about other essential planning infrastructure: it is not a luxury nor an optional extra.

“That also means recognising that resilience takes time. A tree planted today may not deliver its greatest benefits for decades – it also needs to be the right tree for the environment and climate we can expect in 20, 30, or 50 years’ time. So, we need to be planning now for the landscapes and climate of the future. Growers, particularly tree producers, need confidence and policy certainty to make those long-term investments and ensure we have the right plants for the right places as our climate changes.

“The environmental horticulture sector has a critical role in delivering this, but it needs to be properly recognised in national and local planning for climate adaptation. If we want greener, cooler and more resilient places that contribute to nature recovery in the future, we need to start growing and planting for that future now.”