Heat waves cut UK milk production and raise supply and price fears
Heat waves have cut UK milk production, with national daily collections down 1.24 million litres and one East Sussex farm down about 40%, raising supply and price concerns.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Concerns are growing over UK milk supplies after a summer of intense heat waves. Farmers say the heat led to poor grazing conditions, a smaller harvest and more stress on livestock.
At a dairy farm in East Sussex, staff would normally expect about 1,200 litres of milk a day. The heat cut output by about 40%, the farm said. That was not enough to supply its shops, restaurants and home deliveries, or to make its ice cream. The farm had some ice cream stock to draw on, but it could not replace it fast enough.
The problem goes beyond one farm. Across the UK, 1.24 million fewer litres of milk are being collected from farms each day compared with last year. That is a drop of nearly 4%, as drought and heat put production under pressure.
Farmers are also facing uncertainty about future summers and the effects of climate change. One farmer said an increase in prices is likely. The farmer advised consumers to buy directly from dairy farmers to avoid leaving the margin to supermarkets. For the future, the farmer said one thing is certain: unpredictability.
The farm considered bringing in milk from farms less affected by heat, such as in Scotland. But haulage charges and rising diesel costs made that too challenging, according to the report.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | ITV |
|---|---|
| Heat waves cut milk output by about 40% at a farm in East Sussex. | |
| Heat waves damaged UK farming by reducing grazing and harvests and increasing stress on livestock. | |
| UK dairy farms collected about 1.24 million fewer litres of milk per day than the previous year, a decline of nearly 4%. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV1 led its milk coverage with a case study from a dairy farm in East Sussex. It focused on the local impact: output cut by about 40%, not enough milk for customers and ice cream, and plans to source milk from Scotland that were made too costly by haulage and diesel. It set that against national figures showing daily milk collections down 1.24 million litres, and it highlighted climate-driven uncertainty and likely price rises.
- “Well overall because of the heat waves the intense heat waves that we experience it led to very poor grazing conditions a smaller harvest and a wee bit more stress and strain on the livestock as well.”
- “With the effects of climate change the likelihood that we will see an increase in prices is definitely there.”
- “I think one thing is certain for the future and that is unpredictability.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.