Farmers to Get £65m in Drought Aid as Leaders Warn Industry Is at 'Breaking Point'

Farmers across England will receive £65 million in emergency aid to help them survive a severe drought this summer. Prime Minister Andy Burnham made the announcement after farm leaders warned that many farmers are at "breaking point." The money is meant to help farmers water their crops, feed their animals, and keep working through the dry conditions. Burnham visited farmers in the South West on Saturday to deliver the news in person.

Along with the £65 million, Burnham also announced a separate £15 million fund to help farmers build their own reservoirs. Reservoirs are small lakes or tanks that collect and store water for later use. Having these on farms would help farmers get through dry summers in the future. The government hopes this will reduce the damage caused by droughts in the years ahead.

However, not everyone thinks the money is enough. Gavin Lane, president of the Country Land and Business Association, said the aid is welcome but called it "little more than a temporary fix." He warned that the reservoir money would only cover a small fraction of what is actually needed. He also said the announcements would not change the fact that farming is still very difficult in England, which he says lacks a real plan for dealing with climate change.

Burnham said he understands how hard things are for farmers right now. He spoke about how they "brought in the earliest harvest of their working lives and watched the yield come in well down on what it should be." He said farmers are dealing with lower income, higher costs, and no rain in the forecast. His message was clear: the government sees food production as a matter of national security.

This summer's extreme heat has created a range of problems on farms. Farmers say the high temperatures have had a "hairdryer" effect, drying out the moisture in the air. This heat stress has harmed animals, slowed the growth of root vegetables, and put fruit and potato supplies at risk. The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board warned that milk production has also dropped because heat-stressed cows are producing less and there is not enough grass for grazing.

Poor grain harvests are making things even harder. When grain is scarce, the cost of animal feed goes up. Higher feed costs could force farmers to shrink the size of their herds, which may eventually lead to higher meat prices in shops. This chain of problems shows how one weather event can affect the food supply in many different ways.

Many farmers are also struggling to access a government program called the Sustainable Farming Incentive. This program was set up to help farmers after the UK left the European Union and lost access to EU farming subsidies. It was suddenly shut down in 2025 because too many farmers applied at once, and only reopened in June for small farms under 50 hectares. Farmers say this has made it even harder to stay afloat during such a difficult time.

Burnham's new support package is designed to address the most urgent needs on farms across England. It will help farmers get water to their crops, find food for their livestock where the grass has dried up, and continue their environmental work. The prime minister also said farmers are "at the sharp end of a changing climate" and that they should not have to carry that risk alone.