Liberal Democrats demand £1bn farming budget uplift as extreme weather threatens "worst harvest on record"

EMBARGO: 0001 Wednesday 5th August 2026

Responding to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) analysis warning that 2026 could see the worst UK harvest on record, Liberal Democrat Rural Affairs Spokesperson, Sarah Dyke MP, said:

“This year has brought a perfect storm for farming. This devastating ECIU analysis confirms exactly what we are seeing on the ground with brutal heatwaves hammering our crop yields and livestock surviving on winter supplies.

“This extreme weather is colliding with global instability - the £390 million crop shortfall projected by this analysis comes right as Trump’s war in Iran has sent unpredictable shocks through our supply chains, meaning energy and fertiliser prices have skyrocketed right when farmers can least afford it.

“We cannot just watch as our countryside falls into a climate doom loop. The Liberal Democrats are demanding an immediate £1 billion uplift to the UK farming budget. We need to get greater, targeted support directly to farmers through ELMs. This will properly reward farmers for producing food sustainably, help them build resilience against future climate shocks, and ultimately protect our national food security.

“British farmers work tirelessly to feed this nation - it’s time they had a government that actually backs them.”

ENDS