Record drought and water scarcity: how farmers are coping with the consequences

This year, farmers faced severe consequences of the summer drought. At Charles Drey's family farm in Gloucestershire, the wheat harvest halved. According to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), the total grain harvest in the UK was the lowest on record, and wheat volumes decreased by approximately 3 million tonnes (by 11%). Spring cereals and grain legumes suffered the most from the drought, with their yield dropping by more than 50%.

Dairy producers also had to incur additional expenses. Due to scorched pastures, dairy farmers had to open winter silage reserves and purchase additional feed. For example, Sarah Godwin's farm suffered losses of over £100,000 and also spent £15,000 on installing irrigation systems and cooling fans for livestock. At the same time, total milk production in the region decreased insignificantly — by only 4.5%, but the livestock animals themselves suffered from the heat.

To solve irrigation problems, some farms use winter-filled lakes, but expanding such infrastructure requires major costs, permits, and bureaucratic approvals. Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced the allocation of grants for the construction of reservoirs and irrigation systems, and a government environmental funding scheme worth more than £250 million was fully allocated within six hours. High demand for support caused difficulties for some farmers, such as Tom Kimber, who were unable to submit applications due to the rapid exhaustion of funds and technical glitches in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) system.