Berry growers have called for the government to remove barriers to further investment in water storage to protect UK food production.
Grower group British Berry Growers said years of investment in reservoirs, rainwater storage and more efficient use of water had helped growers continue to produce fruit despite dry conditions.
However, planning constraints, the cost of major water infrastructure and the current abstraction regime could all act as barriers to investment, it warned, with pressures varying considerably between regions and businesses.
“Investments are helping many growers continue producing high-quality British fruit despite one of the hottest, driest summers on record,” said BBG chair Nick Marston. “However, the picture is mixed across the country, with some businesses now coming under increasing pressure.”
The group’s sustainability report, published in 2025, showed that 61% of growers had already invested in on-farm reservoirs or rainwater storage, while every grower surveyed had a water efficiency plan in place. At the same time, 65% had reduced water use by an average of 16% over the previous three years.
BBG has asked the government to support investment through grants, reform planning to make on-farm reservoirs quicker and easier to deliver, modernise water regulation including abstraction licensing, and prioritise water for food production during drought.
“British growers have shown that investment in water resilience works,” added Marston. “The next step is enabling more businesses to make those investments so we can continue supplying high-quality British berries for consumers in the years ahead.”
The group said that a long-term approach that enabled growers to capture and store more water when it was plentiful would reduce pressure on water resources during prolonged dry periods and help protect the UK’s ability to produce fresh food as periods of extreme heat and drought become more frequent.
It comes as earlier this week more parts of England entered drought conditions, bringing the total area to nearly 70%.
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