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Fri, 25 Sep 2026

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 Farmers down 240 million litres of milk after heat

Milk yield was affected by a series of extreme heatwaves which led to poor grazing conditions, researchers say.

* Due to extreme heat, dairy farmers in England and Wales delivered 240 million fewer litres of milk than expected between May and August.
* This resulted in a loss of over £83m worth of milk, equivalent to one billion school milk cartons.
* The UK's hottest summer on record in 2026 led to poor grazing conditions, stunted harvests, and heat strain on livestock.
* Many farmers have started giving winter feed to cattle early, including Debbie Wilkins from Gloucestershire, due to the difficult summer conditions.
* Research by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) found that farmers built up a cushion of milk earlier in 2026 which partially offset the losses over the summer.
* The ECIU said more shade, trees, and water are needed for farmers to survive future severe weather events.
* A senior analyst at ECIU warned that future heatwaves will become progressively harder to recover from, especially as milk is an "unforgiving product" in farming.