NFU Demands Urgent Water Action as Drought Threatens Fresh Produce

The NFU has called for immediate action to strengthen water resilience as drought conditions spread across half of England, placing growing pressure on farmers, fresh produce growers and the nation’s food supply.

Seven areas have now been officially declared in drought: East Anglia; Hertfordshire and the whole of London; the Thames Valley; Hampshire and the Isle of Wight; Devon and Cornwall; the West Midlands; and Wessex, covering Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire.

Kent and East Sussex, Cumbria and Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, the East Midlands, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, and the remainder of Solent and the South Downs have moved into prolonged dry weather status. Only Yorkshire and the North East remain at normal status, although conditions are being closely monitored.

The Environment Agency said the rapid development of the “flash drought” had been driven by exceptionally low rainfall and high temperatures. July has so far delivered just 7% of its long-term average rainfall across England, falling to only 1% in southern areas. Government figures show reservoir storage has dropped to 75.3%, while 78% of England’s rivers are now classified as below normal or lower.

Fresh produce businesses are among those facing immediate consequences. Falling river levels have led the Environment Agency to impose restrictions on abstraction in some areas, directly affecting crops that depend on irrigation. Growers with access to stored water are also seeing reserves depleted rapidly following the early and intensive irrigation required during the prolonged dry spell.

Low river flows have resulted in 1,506 abstraction licence restrictions across England, while irrigation demand remains high. Concerns are now growing over whether farm reservoirs will hold sufficient water for the remainder of the season.

NFU Deputy President Paul Tompkins said the extreme conditions were making food production more difficult, costly and uncertain.

“Water is a vital ingredient in food production, and without a secure supply, we cannot build resilient farm businesses,” he said.

The NFU is urging the Government to streamline the planning system so that growers can construct water-storage facilities more quickly. It is also calling for more flexible abstraction licences, allowing water to be collected and stored when rainfall and river conditions permit.

Other proposed measures include opening the Water Management Grant to support investment in on-farm reservoirs and establishing a risk register for vulnerable business users, including high-value horticulture operations.

The union also wants clearer and more timely local communication between the Environment Agency, water companies and Water Abstraction Groups, particularly around water levels, potential cessation notices, restriction timescales and when abstraction may resume.

The drought announcement follows three heatwaves, including 12 consecutive days with temperatures above 30°C. The NFU said farmers and growers required secure and reliable access to water if they were to continue supplying food to the country’s 29 million households.

It warned that water resilience must now be treated as a central part of national food security, with coordinated government action needed to support farm businesses through the current drought and prepare the sector for increasingly frequent periods of extreme weather.

Source: NFU