By Jim Bligh and Martin Emmett

The next time you pick up a potato, carrot or courgette, don’t be surprised if it looks a little different.

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Smaller. Less symmetrical.

It’s nothing to do with quality, it’s climate change. The taste will be just as good. The product will be just as fresh and nutritious. But Britain’s fruit and vegetables are beginning to show the strain of a hotter, drier, and less predictable climate.

Everyone knows this summer was exceptionally dry. July was the driest on record for many parts of the country, placing huge pressure on farmers and growers at one of the most important points in the growing season. Crops matured faster than usual so harvests had to be brought forward, and in some cases, yields were impacted.

Fruit and vegetables can develop differently under the stress of prolonged heat and water shortages. They can be smaller, larger or less regular in shape.

For many shoppers, this autumn could be the first time climate change is staring back at them from their shopping basket. And this is unlikely to be a one-off. It’s a glimpse of the future, as weather becomes more volatile.

British farmers and growers are used to dealing with unusual and unseasonal weather........

© LBC