NFU Warns of Food Shortages Amid UK Drought Conditions

There could be a shortage of certain food products if the current drought conditions continue, the National Farmers' Union (NFU) has warned.

NFU president Tom Bradshaw said yields of wheat and oats were "very, very poor" this year and warned livestock farmers have had to use their winter feed rations because they have been unable to grow grass.

Drought has been declared across large parts of England and the whole of Wales as successive heatwaves left water supplies under strain, with more than 20 million people now under hosepipe bans.

Amber heat health alerts have also been issued for large parts of England, including the Midlands, the south-east and south-west of England, until Wednesday.

Bradshaw told the BBC that high temperatures and drought conditions had placed all areas of farming under increasing pressure.

Vegetable producers, he said, are running low on water, reducing the amount of food produced in the UK and increasing the cost it takes to grow it.

"We have to recognise that water security is a critical part of our food security and food security is our national security," Bradshaw said.

He called on the government to invest more heavily in reservoirs, saying too much water that could be collected during winter was instead being pumped out into the North Sea.

"We can't change what's happening at the moment, there is no water in our rivers, but we must use this to take action for the future," he said.

Bradshaw also suggested farmers should be given tax breaks to build water storage systems on their land to prepare for the years ahead.

"We have taken our food supply for granted for far too long," he added.

"Those other countries around the world that we currently rely on to produce our food and vegetables, their climates are changing as well.

"It does feel like there is going be some shortages of [food] products", Bradshaw told Radio 4's Broadcasting House.

In a message to Prime Minister Andy Burnham, he said: "Let's draw a line in the sand and make sure we prioritise domestic food production to deliver growth across the UK."

After a wet and mild start to the year, it has been exceptionally dry hot and dry with a succession of heatwaves across the UK.

The combination of low rainfall and prolonged heat has quickly depleted water reserves in soils, vegetation and rivers.

While droughts can occur naturally, climate change is making weather patterns more erratic, and heatwaves more frequent and intense.

Scientists say there is a greater risk of droughts happening as a result, and of them being more severe and longer-lasting when they do.

The Met Office reports that England saw just 5.6mm of rainfall up to 30 July – just 8% of its long-term meteorological average for the month and less than half of the previous record of 13.4mm set in 1911.

For Wales it was 7.9mm of rainfall, also 8% of its long-term average for the month and almost a third of the previous record of 22.6mm, again set in 1911.

Heat health alerts are in place across most of England until at least 09:00 BST on Wednesday.

Amber alerts indicate a rise in deaths of vulnerable people and increased demand on health services are likely, while yellow alerts indicate these are possible.