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Drought cuts wheat harvest and raises dairy costs in southwest England
The BBC reports Charles Day’s family wheat harvest in Gloucestershire was cut in half, while one Wiltshire dairy farm said its costs rose by more than £100,000.
A severe drought in England has sharply reduced crop yields and increased operating costs for farms, with West Country farmers describing 2026 as the hottest summer on record and the longest drought they have experienced, BBC Business reports.
In Gloucestershire, Charles Day’s family farm saw its wheat harvest cut in half, after conditions shifted from crops looking promising in April to rain stopping in June and the “sun” reducing yields during June and July.
For dairy farms, failed grass growth forced farmers to open stored silage clamps earlier to feed cattle, and Sarah Godwin said the extra costs on her family farm in Wiltshire came to over £100,000.
The BBC also describes other crop impacts during the same period, including cauliflowers burning in the heat and cider orchards producing about a tenth of their normal crop.
Latest closeWheat $691.25 ▲1.2%