CEREAL farmers are facing the worst harvest in living memory in the latest blow to the agriculture industry.

The effect of heavy rains in the spring and last autumn, when many fields were flooded, is now being seen in dramatically reduced crop yields, raising the prospect of a substantial drop in income.

Kevin Littleboy, who farms between Thirsk and Ripon, in North Yorkshire, said his fields were flooded seven times in three months.

The result was wheat yields had fallen from an average of three-and-three-quarter tonnes per acre to two tonnes.

He said: "It is an exceptionally bad year. No one has ever come across anything as bad as this before."

He said the poor harvest was expected to see wheat prices go from £70 a tonne last year to £90, although they were still well down on the £144 a tonne of five years ago.

But, he said, with wheat making up only a small proportion of the cost of bread, it should not lead to higher prices for consumers.

A spokeswoman for supermarket firm Sainsbury's said it was not aware of anything which could lead to an increase in the price of bread.