Drought bringing autumn harvest two weeks early, Waitrose says

Waitrose is preparing to stock autumnal fruit and other later varieties in the summer. Photograph: Martin Godwin/The Guardian

Harvests are coming two weeks early because of drought, Waitrose has said, as it prepares to stock autumnal fruit in summer.

Farmers that supply the supermarket are harvesting wheat, oilseed rape, oats and malting barley a fortnight before they generally would, according to the supermarket. A lack of rainfall coupled with the hot weather has caused the crops to race through their growing stages and mature early.