East Anglia drought leaves British onion crop under pressure

British onion supplies are set to tighten after extreme heat and drought slashed yields, reduced bulb sizes and raised quality concerns across the country’s main growing region.

Around 90% of the UK crop is grown in East Anglia, where the British Onion Producers’ Association (BOPA) said just 2mm of rain fell in July — around 96% below average.

The exceptionally dry conditions have continued into August, leaving growers struggling to maintain crops through one of the most difficult seasons the sector has faced.

Despite significant investment in irrigation, water shortages and restrictions have prevented some growers from watering crops at key stages.

That has accelerated maturity, with some onion crops finishing more than a month earlier than normal.

BOPA said the conditions have reduced plant populations, bulb size and marketable yields, meaning the 2026 crop is expected to be shorter in supply than usual.

Ben Collins, chairman of BOPA, said: “This is the most challenging season ever encountered by the British onion industry.”

He added: “The combination of prolonged drought, extreme heat and limited water availability has put this year’s crop under extreme pressure.”

Temperatures of between 25C and 35C, combined with very limited rainfall, have also increased stress on crops.

BOPA warned that this could raise the risk of Fusarium, commonly known as base rot, creating further concerns over the quality of marketable onions.

Collins said: “It is clear that yield and bulb size will be a challenge this season, while the extreme growing conditions are also creating significant concerns around quality.”

The difficult season has renewed concerns around water security for British growers.

BOPA said more support was needed to help producers invest in irrigation and water storage, particularly in major food-producing regions such as East Anglia.

The pressures are not confined to the UK.

Similar conditions are affecting onion production across parts of Europe, where yields in key growing regions are forecast to be more than 25% below normal.

That could limit the ability of imports to fully offset any shortfall in domestic production.

British growers are continuing to focus on maximising quality and availability, but BOPA expects supplies to remain tighter, sizes smaller and the overall crop to finish earlier than in a normal season.

With both domestic and European crops under pressure, the 2026 onion season is expected to be shorter and tighter than usual.