Farming Today - 05/08/26 Scottish first minister on farming resilience; the cost of drought; harvest in Cumbria
Scotland's first minister John Swinney has been speaking about the future for Scottish farmers and crofters while touring the country visiting summer agricultural shows. This hot dry summer hasn't hit farmers in Scotland quite as hard as southern England, but some areas are now considered to be in what Scotland terms 'water scarcity'. We speak to him about support for farmers and the government's future plans to tackle wildfires.
A new report estimates farmers could lose as much as £390 million in revenue because of the heat waves and drought this summer. Analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit estimates the grain harvest could be down by as much as 2.5 million tonnes.
We're talking about the harvest all week. We visit the Eden Valley in Cumbria find out how one farmer near Penrith is managing his harvest balancing-act.
Presenter: Anna Hill
Producer: Rebecca Rooney
Published on Wednesday, 5th August 2026.
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