Prime Minister Andy Burnham unveiled a £65m support package directed at farmers dealing with severe drought conditions across Britain. The announcement came after internal party pressure, with Labour MPs and grassroots members criticizing the government for insufficient attention to the climate crisis amid widespread wildfires and agricultural challenges.
The funding package allocates £50m to the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) program in England, which compensates farmers for nature conservation efforts on their land. This addition brings the total SFI budget to £290m, with priority given to regions experiencing the most severe drought impact. An additional £15m has been designated for farmer assistance in constructing on-farm reservoirs to secure water supplies during future dry periods. Burnham chaired a Cobra emergency meeting this week to coordinate a cross-government response addressing heat, wildfires, and drought across farming, water, and infrastructure sectors.
The government has implemented temporary regulatory relief for participating farmers. Those enrolled in conservation programs who would normally be restricted from cutting or grazing designated land until later in the year may now do so in areas experiencing grass scarcity without forfeiting their payments. Water access has been simplified through modified environmental abstraction rules and accelerated licensing procedures to ensure farmers can obtain water resources where most needed.
While officials announced support for nine new reservoir development projects, agricultural advocacy groups characterized the measures as insufficient. The Country Land and Business Association stated the £15m reservoir allocation would fund only a fraction of necessary infrastructure, noting that farmers would absorb most construction costs while already managing record expenses and new tax obligations. Industry representatives emphasized the need for a sustained, long-term program with coordinated planning and water abstraction support.
Burnham is scheduled to visit a farm in southwestern England to discuss the government’s response with affected farmers, emphasizing food security as a national priority and acknowledging farmers face disproportionate climate risks.
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