The NFU will host a "drought summit" in London on Wednesday with representatives from other farming organisations, the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Rural Payments Agency and farming charities.

Despite this weekend's rain over parts of the UK, the NFU warned that many parts of England and Wales haven’t seen any significant rain since the end of May resulting in "tinderbox conditions".

The meeting will address the availability of forage as livestock farmers dig into winter reserves, water resources for irrigated crops and growing conditions for cereals including the "risk of standing crop fires".

"There could be serious concerns for many farmers if this extended spell of warmer, drier weather continues as the long-range forecast suggests," said NFU president Minette Batters. "This unprecedented spell of weather really should be a wake-up call for us all. It’s a timely reminder that we shouldn’t take food production for granted. Farming is one of the most affected industries when it comes to managing volatility."

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