Britain could face food shortages as drought continues, farmers warn

Farmers battle to salvage what they can of their crops as heatwave set to continue Britain could face shortages of certain foods after punishing drought in parts of England, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has warned as a heatwave was forecast to continue into next week. The UK’s Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued heat health alerts for eight regions of England, with temperatures set to rise above 30C in parts of the country. UKHSA said rising temperatures may increase health risks, particularly for vulnerable groups. Farms across the country were affected by floods over the winter, making planting extremely difficult, and now in many areas they do not have access to water as irrigation is being restricted due to drought. It is the third drought in five years and farming groups say this is the new normal for agriculture in Britain. Wheat farmers say their crop is half its normal height, and England is seeing its earliest ever harvest as farmers battle to salvage what they can of their produce. In some areas it has not rained for over a month, while multiple record-breaking heatwaves have hit the country since early summer, drying out the soil. Tom Bradshaw, the NFU preside