Why our nation's beloved cup of tea may be under threat

It's said that a cup of tea solves everything - but there are now warnings of supply shortages for our nation's much-beloved brew.

Kenyan farmers who grow tea sold in UK supermarkets say climate impacts are hitting yields and their already "scarce" incomes.

The East African country, which supplies half of all the black tea consumed by Britain, has seen farmers facing unpredictable climate conditions, lower production and quality levels, and rising input costs.

This has led to a wider surge in global tea prices, with shoppers having to pay more for their brews.

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Meanwhile, milk producers in the UK have come under increasing pressure from extreme heat, with the drought conditions causing "serious supply issues across the dairy industry".

In tea-growing Kenyan regions, there have been wetter conditions in January when it is normally dry, and hot temperatures in July when cooler conditions are expected.

Production across five tea farming cooperatives fell by 30% in May and June this year compared to what farmers usually harvest during those months.

Nelson Ngeno, manager of the Fintea union, said: "Climate is really affecting our farmers. There has been a complete change as far as the weather is concerned. It is very serious."

It comes as farmers in England and Wales have experienced poor grazing conditions, stunted harvests and heat strain on livestock due to this summer's drought.

It has meant their counterparts in Scotland have seen increased demand for their food and milk from businesses south of the border.

This summer was the UK's hottest on record, with five heatwaves declared along with hosepipe bans for large parts of the country.

There are warnings the UK milk market faces lower collections than 2025 due to the impacts of heat stress and drought.

Collections are about 1.24 million litres (3.7%) lower than the same week last year, according to figures from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.

Ayrshire-based Mossgiel Organic Dairy says it has seen a "quite dramatic" rise in demand for organic milk from businesses south of the border as Scottish producers have largely avoided the worst effects of the weather.

Founder Bryce Cunningham said the level of interest was unprecedented for the farm and showed how quickly the market had tightened, with businesses looking further afield to get supplies.

"The drought has caused serious supply issues across the dairy industry," Mr Cunningham said.

"Organic milk is generally quite difficult to get at this time of year anyway, but the drought has amplified that."

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Similar pressures are being felt across other areas of food production, including fruit, and Scottish cider producers are watching the situation closely.

There has been a bumper crop for fruits in Scotland, while the heat and drought have caused "calamity on the orchard crops for this year" down south, said Angus Morrison, founder of Lost Orchards.

"What we're seeing is a really telling example of how climate change is beginning to affect where food can be grown and how businesses source it," he said.

Mr Morrison continued: "Whether it's a long-term climate change pattern or not, is probably yet to be seen... but certainly the changing climate is helping the fruit growing in Scotland and other areas better than it is in the south and Europe for that matter."

(c) Sky News 2026: Why our nation's beloved cup of tea may be under threat