Tougher crops and beaver dams: how UK farmers are tackling drought

Hit by heatwaves and low rainfall, food producers are finding novel solutions to help crops and cattle survive

Ponds and collection tanks, drought-resistant crops and a certain rodent. As the climate crisis brings more extreme weather to Britain, farmers are experimenting with new tactics to tackle drought – and flooding.

The string of heatwaves and drought conditions experienced across vast swathes of Britain this summer has brought a series of challenges for food producers, particularly those growing crops more suited to the UK’s traditional climate.