Droughts: Farmers
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support her Department is providing to farmers, in the context of ongoing drought conditions.
Answered by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
As announced in August 2026, the Government is supporting farmers through a range of measures. These include temporary Environmental Land Management flexibilities and up to £15 million in funding million for on-farm reservoirs.
Defra has announced an extra £50 million for Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 Window 2, which opens later this month. This takes SFI26’s total budget to £290 million and helps more farmers access support.
The Environment Agency is prioritising short-term abstraction licence variations, and the Government is committed to continue working with the farming sector to improve resilience of on-farm water supply to ensure farmers can invest with confidence.
The Government will continue to monitor the situation closely and work with the farming and water sectors, taking further action if needed.
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