As the UK population was urged to start to stockpile food in case of severe weather, scientists have warned the country’s agriculture sector is not climate ready.

It comes as UK environment secretary Dame Angela Eagle warned natural climate phenomenon will lead to “more extreme storms in this country”.

She issued the advice as the National Audit Office (NAO) warned Britain’s food supply chain is at risk given the growing threat of cyber-attacks and the climate crisis.

The NAO said the government was too reliant on the private sector to deal with food supply disruption. The government is due to unveil a strategy about preparing for national emergencies later this year.

Eagle explained: “We’re about to experience probably the largest El Nino that has ever been seen, and that will lead to drier summers, wetter winters, with more extreme storms in this country.

“It will do a lot more damage in Asia with flooding, and therefore I think that we need to take it seriously.

“If you’ve got a store of a bit of food that can keep you going for a while before the emergency services can get to you, you’re going to be a lot better off than if you haven’t.

In a new report by professor Neil Ward, from the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia (UEA). and member of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, has warned the recent string of heatwaves has put increasing pressure on UK agriculture through reduced crop yields, poorer grass growth and water shortages.

He added that the sector must build greater resilience through measures such as improving soil health, increasing water storage, and adapting food production systems.

Ward said: “The drought is reducing yields and has meant an earlier harvest. The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit has estimated a £300-£400 million financial hit for the arable sector alone.

“Grass growth has also been impacted, meaning livestock farmers will have to buy in more animal feed.

“Wheat, spring barley and oats have been heavily affected. Wheat is the biggest concern because it is so extensively grown. Potato crops are vulnerable to drought and irrigated crops may face restrictions on water abstraction.”

As farmers consider how to respond to increasingly dry conditions, Prof. Ward pointed to several measures that could help farms become more resilient to drought.

He said: “Improving soil organic matter can improve soil water retention, this involves building up the amount of decomposed plant and animal material, which turns soil into a better ‘sponge’ that can capture and hold more water during wet periods and release it more slowly during droughts.”

“Farmers are calling for more flexibility in being able to build on-farm reservoirs,” he added. “Groups of farmers could establish or strengthen water sharing arrangements.”

Looking to the future, Ward said wider changes will be needed to help agriculture adapt to climate change.

He concluded: “Agriculture and the food system is not well enough prepared for the climate change we will face over the coming decades. We need to build resilience into farming systems.

“To adapt and mitigate climate change will require significant change across our food system, including how and what we produce, how we best use land, and what we eat.”