Debbie Wilkins, a farmer in England and Wales, has begun providing winter feed to her cattle due to extreme heat this summer, which has resulted in dairy farmers delivering 240 million fewer litres of milk than expected, according to researchers from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU). Farmers experienced a reduction of four days of milk supply between May and August. The heat has caused poor grazing conditions, stunted harvests, and heat strain on livestock. Wilkins, a dairy and beef farmer in Gloucestershire, noted that the costs increase when cows are brought indoors, compounding the loss of milk production.
The ECIU reported that dairy farmers lost milk valued at over £83 million, equivalent to enough milk to fill more than one billion school milk cartons. This situation follows the UK's hottest summer on record in 2026, which featured five intense heatwaves and drought declarations. Despite the significant drop in milk delivery over the summer, the ECIU indicated that UK milk production could still approach record levels in 2026, as farmers had built up a cushion earlier in the year that partially offset the summer losses.
The ECIU emphasized the need for more shade, trees, and water to help farmers cope with future severe weather events. The consolidation of dairy farms in recent years has led to economies of scale and mechanization, which have increased milk outputs even as herd sizes have decreased. Tom Cantillon, a senior analyst at ECIU, stated that future heatwaves would pose greater recovery challenges, noting that milk is an unforgiving product in farming because it cannot be stockpiled. He added that the costs do not cease with the arrival of rain, as a second consecutive bad year for grass has forced farmers to rely on winter forage early, with feed prices expected to rise. Cantillon called for assistance in implementing climate resilience measures.