Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of heatwaves on farming, food production and animal welfare.

Dry weather in 2025 placed increasing demand on irrigation reservoirs and impacted crop and grass growth. More severe droughts linked to climate change are set to leave parts of our country facing significant water shortages by 2050. Defra actively monitors farm impacts through AHDB surveys such as the Crop Development Survey, published in June 2026 and official statistics from farm-based surveys which tracks yields, and other indicators impacted by weather conditions.