Drought Could Cause Food Shortages, Farmers Warn
A prolonged drought could lead to shortages of some foods and push up prices, the head of the farmers’ union warned, after July was confirmed as the driest on record for England and Wales. Fresh heat-health alerts were issued for much of England, with temperatures forecast to climb back towards 35C. Reservoirs and rivers remain depleted after a summer of repeated heatwaves.
The warning sharpened the stakes of a water crisis that has brought hosepipe bans for tens of millions and wildfires across the countryside. Parched fields threaten yields of vegetables, cereals and grazing for livestock, and farmers say the costs will ultimately reach the supermarket shelf. Water companies, already under fire over leaks and bills, urged restraint as supplies ran low. Forecasters offered little hope of significant rain in the near term. Watch the effect on this year’s harvest and on food prices already squeezed by the Iran war.