Years of investment in water resilience are helping British berry growers withstand one of the hottest and driest summers on record, but industry leaders say barriers to further investment must now be removed to protect future UK food production.
British Berry Growers (BBG), which represents 95% of the UK’s commercial berry growers, says years of investment in reservoirs, rainwater storage and more efficient use of water are helping many growers continue to produce high-quality British strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries despite the exceptionally dry conditions.
However, with pressures varying considerably between regions and businesses, BBG says planning constraints, the cost of major water infrastructure and the current abstraction regime can all act as barriers to the investment needed to secure future British food production.
BBG is calling for Government to:
• Support investment through grants that reflect the sizeable cost of modern horticultural water infrastructure
• Reform planning to make on-farm reservoirs quicker and easier to deliver, including in areas where current planning constraints are disproportionate
• Modernise water regulation, including abstraction licensing that better captures winter flows and periods of high rainfall
• Prioritise water for food production during drought, working with water companies and the Environment Agency
Nick Marston, Chair of British Berry Growers, said: “British berry growers have invested heavily over many years to become more resilient to periods of drought. Our Sustainability Report, published in 2025 and based on more than half of UK berry production, 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 and 65% had reduced water use by an average of 16% over the previous three years. Since then, growers have continued to invest as climate pressures have intensified.
“Those investments are helping many growers continue producing high-quality British fruit despite one of the hottest, driest summers on record. However, the picture is mixed across the country, with some businesses now coming under increasing pressure.
“British growers have shown that investment in water resilience works. 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. That means Government grants to support high-value water infrastructure, streamlined planning for on-farm reservoirs, modernised abstraction licensing so more winter and high-rainfall water can be stored, and recognition that food production must be a priority when water resources come under pressure.”
BBG says a long-term approach that enables growers to capture and store more water when it is plentiful will 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.
BBG Sustainability Report: https://britishberrygrowers.org.uk/sustainability-report/