NFU warns of food shortages and price rises as drought and heat alerts hit England
The National Farmers Union warns that drought conditions could lead to food shortages and price rises, with heat health alerts issued across England.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The National Farmers Union (NFU) has warned that the ongoing drought could lead to shortages of some food products and higher prices. The warning comes as half of England and the whole of Wales are now officially in drought, and heat health alerts have been issued for much of the country.
NFU president Tom Bradshaw said this year's harvest could be one of the earliest on record. Farmers have reported that wheat and oat yields are very poor, with some crops growing to only half their normal height. Livestock farmers are already using winter feed to feed their animals because there is no grass left in the fields. Bradshaw described the situation as "very challenging" and said farmers are worried about what happens over the next six weeks and six months.
The NFU is calling for government action to build resilience, including tax breaks to help farmers invest in permanent irrigation systems. Bradshaw stressed that "water security is a critical part of our food security, and food security is our national security."
Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency has issued amber and yellow heat health alerts. Amber alerts, which mean significant impacts on health and social care are likely, are in place for London, the east of England, the east midlands and the south east. Yellow alerts, indicating minor impacts, cover the rest of England except the north east. The alerts remain in place until Wednesday.
Temperatures are forecast to reach the mid-30s in the south east, marking the fourth heatwave of the summer. The hot, dry conditions have also increased the risk of wildfires. Fires have already torn through woodland in Wales, Scotland and England, with pockets of fire still burning on Dunwich Heath in Suffolk, where the fire service says it remains a major incident.
Around 23 million people are under a hosepipe ban, and reservoirs are drying up. Farmers are having to choose which crops to irrigate because they do not have enough water for all of them. The NFU says the situation is unprecedented and that the impact on food supply will depend on what happens in the rest of the world, as yields across Europe are also being reduced by the heat.
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 | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seven regions in England are in official drought conditions. | ||||
| Farmers have had to harvest early due to drought conditions. | · | |||
| Livestock farmers are using winter feed because of a lack of grass. | · | |||
| A major incident was declared in Suffolk after a large wildfire broke out on heathland. | · | · | ||
| Amber heat health alerts will be active across all of England except the northeast. | · | · | ||
| NFU president Tom Bradshaw warned of food shortages if drought continues. | · | · | ||
| The head of the National Farmers Union warned that food prices could rise due to the warm weather. | · | · | ||
| UK Health Security Agency issued an amber heat health alert for the East Midlands, East, South East and London. | · | · | ||
| Crop yields were about a third lower than normal, and a third loss of the wheat crop in southern England and Wales would mean a 350 million pound shortfall in agricultural income. | · | · | · | |
| Customers breaking a hosepipe ban face a maximum fine of £1,000. | · | · | · | |
| Farmers are having to choose which crops to irrigate due to limited water supply. | · | · | · | |
| Nearly all major cities in Italy were under the highest heat alert due to extreme temperatures. | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC ONE West focused on the NFU warning as a key national story, linking it to the broader drought and health alert situation. It gave detailed reporting on the impact on farmers, including the use of winter feed and the challenges for combinable crops, and also highlighted the ongoing wildfire risk. The tone was factual and concerned, with a clear emphasis on the need for resilience.
- “Our combinable crop farmers producing wheat for flour and biscuits and oats for breakfast cereals have had a very challenging harvest”
- “We need to recognise that water security is a critical part of our food security and food security is our national security”
- “Yellow means there are likely to be minor impacts on health and social care, but amber means those impacts are likely to be significant”
5 News Weekend gave a very brief summary of the NFU warning, focusing on the potential for food shortages and the poor yields of wheat and oats. It did not mention health alerts or wildfires, instead treating the story as a standalone food supply issue. The tone was straightforward and concise, typical of a short news bulletin.
- “There could be food shortages if the current drought conditions continue.”
- “President Tom Bradshaw says wheat and oat yields are very poor this year, with livestock farmers already dipping into their winter feed reserves.”
BBC News covered the NFU warning and the health alerts in detail, and also added an international dimension by reporting on Italy's heat alert. The reporting was comprehensive, with the same core content as BBC ONE West but framed for a national audience. It emphasised the severity of the drought and the potential impacts on food supply and health services.
- “Our combinable crop farmers producing wheat for flour and biscuits and oats for breakfast cereals have had a very challenging harvest”
- “We need to recognise that water security is a critical part of our food security and food security is our national security”
- “Nearly all major cities in Italy are being placed under the country's highest heat alert from today as well.”
Sky News provided the most detailed and contextual coverage, with a dedicated correspondent explaining the health alerts and the farming situation. It included direct quotes from NFU president Tom Bradshaw, who described his own farm's losses, and highlighted the wider implications such as hosepipe bans and wildfire risk. The tone was analytical and forward-looking, stressing the need for government planning.
- “The NFU says there could be shortages of some foods in the UK as a result of the prolonged dry weather.”
- “Tom Bradshaw president of the National Farmers Union said that this year's harvest could be one of the earliest on record”
- “Unfortunately here in Essex where I farm in April our crops looked absolutely exceptional and we were really buoyant about how they may The yield they may produce but since then we've just had really no rainfall to speak of we've had extreme temperatures And the yield was some third lower than we would normally expect from those crops”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.