WASHED-OUT local farmers are counting the cost of this month's appalling weather.
And spokesman Tim Coy said there could be a knock- on effect for land use next year, as farmers struggle to prepare waterlogged fields.
"The cereal farmers are facing a catastrophe similar to the foot and mouth crisis," said Mr Coy, group secretary for the Huddersfield branch of the National Farmers' Union.
"If the weather relents over the next two or three weeks there is a possibility we could salvage something.
"This time last year all the harvesting was completed," he said.
Mr Coy said the branch office in Honley had received many calls from farmers worried about their crops.
He said he had visited a farm at Farnley Tyas where crops were standing in water and deteriorating daily.
And at a Bretton farm the farmer had hired expensive harvesting equipment, which was on standby.
But the quality of corn was not as good and had a high moisture content.
Mr Coy said livestock farmers locally - along with those in the badly-hit North- East - would face shortages of winter bedding and straw for feed during the winter.
This is usually harvested a couple of weeks after corn crops.
He said any Government help which could be given would be welcomed by farmers facing one of the worst harvests for 40 years.
A Government spokes- woman said it had been the worst August on record.
Officials are very worried because of the poor weather's effect on farmers' livelihoods.
She said the Government was not ruling out the possibility of help, but it was going to wait for a clearer picture to emerge to see how much damage had been done.
