Tom Bradshaw warned that the Britain agricultural drought impact could include shortages of some foods as drought and heatwave conditions continued across parts of England. He said farmers were already being pushed by dry fields, restricted irrigation and a harvest being brought forward to salvage what they can.
Bradshaw told Radio 4: "It does feel like there is going be some shortages of [food] products." He also asked the prime minister to take action and said farmers should be given tax breaks to build water storage systems on their land.
England rainfall and irrigation limits
The Met Office said England had just 8% of its average rainfall for July and that the month is likely to be confirmed as the driest July on record. In some areas, it has not rained for over a month, and many farms in affected areas do not have access to water because irrigation is being restricted due to drought.
Farms across the country were affected by floods over the winter, which made planting extremely difficult. The National Farmers’ Union said the drought warning comes as heatwave conditions were forecast to continue into next week, adding to a third drought in five years.
Anthony Hopkins and harvest timing
Anthony Hopkins, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board director of cereals and oilseeds, said: "Across much of the UK, combines have been rolling earlier than usual this year, with many farmers working through the night to avoid the most extreme daytime temperatures. Cereal yields have generally been below the 10-year average so far, with some farms experiencing significant reductions. Following successive years of difficult weather and rising costs, the financial pressures are becoming increasingly acute for those businesses hardest hit."
The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board said its first harvest report of 2026 recorded the earliest harvest since records began in 2006, with many farmers across the south and east of England finishing two to three weeks ahead of the long-term average. Cereals such as wheat and barley have been particularly affected.
UKHSA alerts and restrictions
UKHSA issued amber heat health alerts for the East Midlands, the east of England, the south-east and London from 9am on Monday to 9am on Wednesday. It also issued yellow heat health alerts for the north-west, Yorkshire and the Humber, West Midlands and the south-west for the same period.
About 23 million people across England and Wales are under a hosepipe ban, while the dry weather has fuelled wildfires across the country, most recently in Suffolk. The warning leaves one question in front of growers and shoppers alike: which particular food products will tighten first if the drought continues.
