UK food businesses are importing vegetables from Spain and elsewhere during the domestic growing season after drought and extreme heat sharply reduced British crop yields. The disruption is pushing up wholesale prices and raising concerns about food security, water shortages and the resilience of UK farming to increasingly severe weather.

Tomato wholesale prices have risen by more than 60%, iceberg lettuce by 90% and potatoes by over 40%, while broccoli yields have reportedly halved and the English pea harvest is down by a third. Growers say irrigation supplies are running low, and more than 100 food-sector organisations have urged the government to prioritise food security and reduce reliance on imports; cauliflower shortages may follow within weeks.