UK Approaches Critical Weeks For Food Supply As Heatwave Hits Growers

Growers are warning that the coming weeks will be crucial in determining the outlook for this season's harvest with the prolonged spell of hot, dry weather continuing to put pressure on UK food production.

Domestic food shortages could hit supermarkets within the next 10 days as the recent extreme weather pushes some areas of the country close to drought, reports The Independent. 

“Some areas haven’t harvested yet so what happens over the next week to 10 days could have an impact,” a spokesman for the National Farmers Union (NFU) told The Independent. “We’re asking the Environment Agency to be flexible when it comes to abstraction.”

UK producers are not alone either. Already, cucumber imports from Spain and Morocco have reduced due to severe heat disrupting production, according to a report in The Times. 

Short supplies could reportedly continue for several weeks, while tomato imports may be affected next. 

France is also said to be facing shortages of onions and other fresh produce, such as shallots, carrots, leeks, fennel, radishes, garlic, tomatoes, salads, and soft fruit, after successive heatwaves across the country.

Another Tough Harvest

UK farmers and growers, meanwhile, are “working around the clock” to harvest crops which have come early, keep fruit and vegetables watered, and care for their livestock, according to the NFU.

“Parts of the country, particularly in the east and south, have seen exceptionally low rainfall, creating real challenges for farm businesses,” commented Paul Tompkins, Deputy President at NFU.

“For many arable farmers, this could be another difficult and expensive harvest after extreme weather in both 2024 and 2025 which saw both drought and flood.” 

Produce-wise, UK brassica crops have been particularly affected, including cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and Tenderstem broccoli, as well as potato and onion crops.

The sustained heat has caused some crops to slow down or stop growing altogether, with sizes and appearance impacted also.

England Nearing Drought

As of Monday (20 July), the Environment Agency confirmed that eight areas across England are suffering a state of prolonged dry weather, which is the stage before drought.  

Those include: East Anglia, West Midlands, Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire and London, Wessex, Thames, Solent and the South Downs.  

Rainfall has remained well below average while temperatures have stayed high across many parts of England, leaving soils exceptionally dry and placing increasing demand on irrigation. 

England has only received 3% of its long-term average July rainfall, according to the Environment Agency, with the south and east of the country receiving nothing at all so far, marking the longest spell without rain since the mid-1990s.  

In some areas, reduced river flows have already led to restrictions on water abstraction, limiting the amount of water available for crop production. 

Some farmers in East Anglia have had to stop abstracting water from local rivers as a result.

Greater Resilience Needed

With the latest heatwave impacting water supplies and food production, the National Drought Group has stepped its up response, including heightened incident response, additional monitoring, and more cross-sector and public communication. 

The NFU, meanwhile, has urged urgent action on water resilience as the threat posed by extreme weather grows. 

“To help farmers adapt, we must strengthen resilience to climate volatility,” urged Tompkins. 

“That means a more responsive abstraction licensing system, a consistent positive approach in planning to make building reservoirs easier, which will lead to investment in on-farm water storage.” 

Although temperatures are likely to cool, the Met Office forecast indicates that conditions are likely to remain dry for the rest of July.

As such, the Environment Agency continues to warn of the possibility of a ‘flash drought’, which can be brought on by a sudden combination of very low rainfall and hot temperatures.