SHOPPERS are likely to face higher food prices in the months to come as farmers predict decreased production due to extreme wet weather.

A National Farming Union poll published today finds that confidence among farmers in England and Wales has hit an all-time low, with more than four fifths warning that relentless rain has slashed their yield.

Analysis by the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit of crop area forecasts found that production of wheat, barley, oats and oilseed rape could fall by four million tonnes this year compared with 2023: a reduction of 17.5 per cent.