Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced £65 million in funding to help farmers manage the current drought. This announcement follows a backlash from his own MPs and Labour's grassroots for not addressing the climate crisis, despite widespread wildfires and drought affecting food producers.
Burnham stated that farmers should not bear the risks of the climate crisis alone. Most of the new funding, £50 million, will be allocated to the sustainable farming incentive (SFI), increasing its total budget to £290 million. This additional money will be prioritised for areas most affected by the drought.
Farmers will also receive £15 million to support the construction of on-farm reservoirs, intended to provide water supplies during future dry summers. Additionally, arrangements for farmers to access water from the environment will be simplified, and the speed of licence approvals will be increased.
Burnham chaired a Cobra meeting this week on extreme heat, wildfires, and drought. Downing Street is working to establish a cross-government response, integrating actions on farming, water, and infrastructure. Farmers who receive payments for looking after nature on their land, and are typically restricted from cutting or grazing until later in the year, can now do so where grass is scarce without losing payments.
The Prime Minister is expected to visit a farm in the south-west of England on Saturday, where he plans to discuss the challenges faced by farmers due to the early harvest and reduced yields. He is expected to state that the ability to grow the UK's own food is a matter of national security.