UK Dairy Farmers Lost 240 Million Litres of Milk Amid Summer Heat
Extreme temperatures and resulting poor grazing conditions led to significant milk production losses, costing farmers over £83 million.
Extreme heatwaves over the summer led to a shortfall of 240 million litres of milk in England and Wales, according to research by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU). This represents approximately four fewer days of milk supply than would typically be expected between May and August.
The prolonged periods of high temperatures resulted in poor grazing conditions, stunted crop harvests, and heat stress for livestock. Consequently, many farmers were compelled to begin feeding their cattle winter fodder earlier than usual, a situation described as "difficult" by dairy and beef farmer Debbie Wilkins of Gloucestershire.
"The costs pile up when you have to bring the cows indoors and the loss of milk production compounds the issue," Wilkins stated. The ECIU estimates the total value of the lost milk to be over £83 million, equivalent to more than one billion school milk cartons.
Despite the significant summer deficit, UK milk production is still projected to reach near record levels for the year. This is attributed to farmers having established a surplus earlier in the year, which helped to partially offset the summer losses. However, experts warn that repeated years of severe weather will make recovery increasingly challenging.
Tom Cantillon, a senior analyst at ECIU, highlighted that milk is an "unforgiving product in farming" because it cannot be stockpiled. He also noted that a second consecutive poor year for grass growth has forced farmers to use winter forage reserves, potentially leading to increased feed prices. Cantillon emphasized the need for farmers to implement climate resilience measures, such as increasing shade, planting trees, and improving water availability, to better withstand future extreme weather events.
Recent years have seen consolidation within the dairy sector, leading to economies of scale and increased mechanization that have boosted milk output even as herd sizes have reduced. However, the ongoing impacts of climate change pose a persistent threat to the sector's stability.