Britain could face shortages of certain foods after parts of England faced a punishing drought, the president of the National Farmers’ Union has warned.

Farms across the country faced floods over the winter, making planting extremely difficult, and now they do not have access to water in many parts of England as irrigation is being restricted due to drought.

This is the third drought in five years, said farming groups, warning that this was the “new normal” for agriculture in Britain. Wheat farmers have been saying wheat is half its normal height, and England is seeing its earliest ever harvest as farmers battle to salvage what they can of their crops.

In some areas, it hasn’t rained for over a month, while multiple record-breaking heatwaves have hit the country since early summer, drying out the soil.

Tom Bradshaw, president of the FU, said this could lead to food shortages and he has asked the prime minister to take action.

He told BBC Radio 4 that farmers should be given tax breaks to build water storage systems on their land to prepare for the years ahead.

“Those other countries around the world that we currently rely on to produce our food and vegetables, their climates are changing as well,” he said. “It does feel like there is going be some shortages of [food] products.”

Climate breakdown is exacerbating extreme weather conditions such as droughts. This summer the Met Office has reported that England saw just 8% of its meteorological average rainfall for July and it is likely to be confirmed as the driest July on record. Approximately 23 million people across England and Wales are under a hosepipe ban. The dry weather has also fuelled devastating wildfires across the country, most recently in Suffolk.

The heatwave is to continue into this week and the UK Health Security Agency has issued heat-health alerts for eight regions of England. These amber alerts will be in place for the East Midlands, the east of England, the south-east, and London regions from 9am on Monday 3 August to 9am on Wednesday 5 August. The north-west, Yorkshire and The Humber, West Midlands and the south-west regions will be under a yellow alert during the same period.

Bradshaw said to Andy Burnham: “Let’s draw a line in the sand and make sure we prioritise domestic food production to deliver growth across the UK.”

Cereals such as wheat and barley have been particularly affected, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) said.

Their first Harvest Report of 2026 found the hot weather has resulted in the earliest harvest since records began in 2006, with many farmers across the south and east of England completing harvest two to three weeks ahead of the long-term average.

Anthony Hopkins, the AHDB’s director of cereals and oilseeds, said: “Across much of the UK, combines have been rolling earlier than usual this year, with many farmers working through the night to avoid the most extreme daytime temperatures. Cereal yields have generally been below the 10-year average so far, with some farms experiencing significant reductions. Following successive years of difficult weather and rising costs, the financial pressures are becoming increasingly acute for those businesses hardest hit.”

Anthony Speight, senior analyst, cereals and oilseeds, added: “At this stage, the emerging picture points to disappointing cereal yields in many areas, but we’ll gain a clearer understanding as harvest continues.”

Farming is becoming unprofitable as the government removes the EU-derived subsidies that once kept the industry afloat, and the climate crisis is causing extreme weather, which can wipe out any profits from crops.

A recent report found a third of British farmers were making a loss or only breaking even.

Gavin Lane, the president of the Country, Land and Business Association, warned that for many farmers, this could be their last harvest.

He said: “Farmers are telling us this is the worst harvest in years. A sodden winter followed by drought has left wheat at half its usual height and some crops not worth harvesting.”

He added: “This is the third drought in five years. What was once extraordinary is becoming part of farming in Britain, and government must start planning for it. We know that proper government investment in resilient farming systems, from reservoirs to wildfire prevention, could help farmers cope with these new extremes.

“Farmers have shown again and again that they can adapt and deliver solutions, but resilience has limits. If we want them to keep feeding the country, they need proper support. Otherwise, this harvest could be their last.”