Drought and poor harvests threaten British food supplies

British farming leaders warned in August 2026 that drought across England and Wales could cause shortages of some foods. It has been a hard year for farmers. A very wet winter made planting difficult, and then record heatwaves dried out the soil. Some areas had no rain for over a month.

Wheat plants grew to only half their normal height. Farmers harvested their crops earlier than ever before to save what they could. Livestock farmers have used up their winter feed because grass will not grow. Vegetable growers are also struggling because water supplies are very low.

More than 20 million people cannot use hosepipes due to water shortages. This is the third drought in five years. One in three British farmers is currently losing money or barely covering their costs.