Up to £400,000 will be available in each of five regions under RABI’s drought support scheme
Farm owners and tenant farmers hit by prolonged dry weather could receive £2,000 towards household living costs under a new £2 million emergency fund.
RABI’s Emergency Drought Grant will open from 7 September 2026, with support available to eligible farming households across England and Wales.
The money is intended for personal and household living costs and cannot be used for farm or business running expenses.
Applications will open in five regional phases, with up to £400,000 available to eligible applicants in each area.
RABI said the phased rollout reflects the varying impact of the dry conditions across different parts of England and Wales.
The support follows a prolonged spell of dry weather that has placed additional pressure on farming households.
RABI said spring 2026 was the warmest on record in both England and Wales, while England received just 65% of its average rainfall.
The dry conditions have brought extra costs and pressures from supporting livestock, restricted irrigation, earlier harvests and lower yields.
The charity said those challenges are also feeding through into household finances as farms head towards autumn and winter.
Alicia Chivers, chief executive at RABI, said: “The prolonged dry conditions are having a significant impact on farming people and households across England and Wales, with many facing increased financial pressure as the effects of the drought continue.”
She said RABI’s £2 million commitment was intended to provide direct support where household finances are under strain.
Chivers added: “I am proud of RABI’s ability to respond at pace when farming people face challenges on this scale.”
Other emergency support is also being made available to livestock farmers affected by the dry weather.
The Addington Fund has opened its 2026 Drought and Bluetongue Emergency Grants for farming families across England and Wales facing short-term financial hardship.
Support is being provided through the charity’s Forage Aid Scheme, with grants available towards essential feed costs where drought or bluetongue has left farms short of feed, fodder or straw.
The Addington Fund said prolonged dry weather, combined with the ongoing bluetongue outbreak, is putting additional pressure on livestock businesses.
Unlike the RABI grant, which is specifically intended for personal and household living costs, the Addington Fund support can help eligible farmers meet essential livestock feed costs.
RABI said its own grants are designed to provide flexible help with core day-to-day living costs rather than farm expenditure.
The regional application process will begin from 7 September.
“We know the impact of the drought varies across the country, which is why the grant applications will open in regional phases from 7 September,” Chivers said.
She encouraged eligible farming people to apply when the scheme opens in their area and reminded farmers that RABI’s wider support services remain available.
Eligible farm owners and tenant farmers will need to apply when applications open for their region, with the first phase beginning on 7 September.