Hosepipe bans imminent claims report as the drought bites If we do not have heavy rainfall before the end of the month - commonly known as the recharge period of the year - then it is inevitable the south will have severe water use restrictions. A spokesman for the Environment Agency said that non-essential use such as hosepipe use, the cleaning of vehicles, and how ponds and swimming pools are filled. If the situation becomes even more serious then standpipes, reducing water pressure and rotating water supply cuts could be imposed. The National Farmers Union said food price rises are "guaranteed" in the absence of heavy rain until June. A produce shortfall is expected as up to 20 per cent fewer arable crops such as wheat and barley have been planted, while a reduced yield is expected from remaining fields due to drought-hit stunted crops. Farming leaders predicted "very high" price spikes hitting all home-grown vegetables - including potatoes, onions, carrots, broccoli and cauliflowers - as well as all fruits. The knock-on effect means the price of a loaf of bread is set to rise, along with a host of other bakery and crop-based foods and drinks - including beer. The price of a pint could shoot up due to increased barley and hops prices, the British Beer and Pub Association said. Water companies, the NFU and meteorologists said up to 200 per cent of normal rainfall is needed until June to ease the drought stemming from the driest year since 1921 in places, with some rivers and groundwater levels lower than in drought-hit 1976. Instead, the Met Office forecast a dry month to mid-April, warning of no repeat of the south-east's 40mm of rain earlier this week, the biggest rainfall for two months. The Weather Channel forecast below-average rainfall until the start of May. The forecasts spell disaster as experts say it will be too late improve soil moisture levels from April - as trees suck up giant amounts of water as soon as they leaf - while up to 80 per cent of all rainfall will evaporate from May, the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology said. But, amazingly, in drenched Scotland, soil has been so waterlogged farmers were unable to plant winter crops including wheat, oilseed rape, oat and barley. Wheat plantings were down 14 per cent year on-year. A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: "The recent rainfall has all been welcome but there has not been enough to make any significant difference. We would need continuous rain until the end of the month to make any difference and forecasts suggest we are not going to get it. "There have been two years" below-average rainfall and it's more important than ever that we all use water wisely. We are working with businesses, farmers and water companies to meet the challenges of the continued drought.