UK arable farmers face £2.3B cumulative losses as extreme weather reshapes ingredient supply

this decade reaches £2.3 billion (US$3.1 billion). The findings highlight a pattern of climate volatility that’s forcing food manufacturers to reconsider UK ingredient sourcing strategies as domestic production reliability declines. The 2025 harvest is set to generate £3.37 billion (US$4.5 billion) in revenue at current prices, representing a 19.7% decline compared to the decade average of £4.2 billion (US$5.6 billion), the ECIU analysis shows. This follows two previous weather-related harvest failures in 2020 and 2024, creating what the organization describes as a new operating environment for UK ingredient buyers rather than isolated anomalies. This year’s shortfall stems from the hottest spring and summer on record in the UK and the driest spring in England for over 100 years, which severely impacted crop development. Output estimates show oilseed rape facing the steepest drop at 38.4% below historical norms, followed by milling wheat down 19.6%, feed wheat down 16.1%, and ...