Scotland steps in to fill milk supply gap as record 2026 drought squeezes England's dairy farmers dry

From the Newshound archive · first published 21 September 2026 · last updated 22 September 2026.

UK daily milk collections are running around 1.24 million litres — 3.7 per cent — below last year's levels, after the hottest summer on record hammered grazing conditions and livestock across England and Wales. Mossgiel Organic Dairy in Ayrshire has already shipped 56,000 litres south of the border, with founder Bryce Cunningham fielding three urgent supply calls in under ten minutes. The farm was asked to send a further 40,000 litres it simply did not have.

Cunningham described the surge in demand as "quite dramatic" and said it shows "how impactful this weather event has been."

Five intense heatwaves struck the UK in 2026; the resulting droughts and hosepipe bans that swept much of the country stunted harvests and placed severe stress on livestock.

Organic milk was already tight at this time of year — the drought, Cunningham warned, has "amplified" a shortage that businesses are now scrambling to plug from Scotland.