Why this year’s harvest could be the worst on record

Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleBritish farmers are facing a "completely brutal" year, with analysis suggesting the 2026 harvest could be the worst on record due to extreme summer weather. The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) estimates that exceptionally hot and dry conditions have cut the country's cereals and oilseed harvest by 2.5 million tonnes in comparison to earlier projections, potentially costing farmers up to £390 million. Current wheat yields are significantly below the decade-long average, according to harvest data from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), and if provisional estimates hold, the total cereal and oilseeds harvest of 19.5 million tonnes would be the worst since detailed records began in 1984, the ECIU said.This year's extreme weather, including record heatwaves and drought, follows a dry spring, with four of the five worst harvests occurring this decade. Tom Lancaster, land, food and farming analyst at the ECIU think tank, said there was a danger of UK farming entering a “climate doom loop”. In fullFarmers warn ‘brutal’ harvest could be worst on record sparking food shortage fearsMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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