Food Prices

On 25 September 2026, ITV1 and 5 reported that this year's UK cereal harvest was below average after heat and drought, and that the shortfall could contribute to higher food prices. ITV1 cited the official UK harvest report, while both channels gave similar figures: spring barley down 17%, oats down 14% and winter wheat down 11% against five-year averages. ITV1 reported oil seed rape used in cooking oils was up 19%, and 5 reported oil seed rape yields were up this year. ITV1 also reported problems with crop quality and shape, including smaller and misshapen produce, and higher transport costs linked to diesel prices. 5 reported that a Buckinghamshire farm's wheat yield was two-thirds of its five-year average, that a bakery had been told its flour price would rise 10% in October, and that food price inflation was predicted to reach about 4% by Christmas and over 6% by next summer. ITV1 reported that the government said it was suspending some food import tariffs and supporting farmers, and that supermarkets said they had plans to prevent price surges. 5 reported a farmer's warning that greater reliance on imports would make the UK more exposed to price shocks.

Key Claims by Channel

Claim
Reported by all 3 channels
The official UK harvest report indicated spring barley down 17%, oats down 14%, winter wheat down 11%, and oil seed rape up 19%.		Reported by Channel 4
Reported by a few · 2 channels
Oil seed rape yields increased this year, including a 19% rise in the amount used in cooking oils.	Reported by Channel 5	Not reported by Channel 4	Reported by ITV
In Wakefield, a grain store had empty space and wheat yields fell by around 20%.	Not reported by Channel 5		Reported by ITV
Only on one channel
The government announced it is suspending some food import tariffs and supporting farmers to keep prices down.	Not reported by Channel 5	Not reported by Channel 4
Crop quality and shape were affected, including smaller and misshapen produce and pest scarring, with one food firm handling 474,000 kilograms more misshapen produce than usual.	Not reported by Channel 5	Not reported by Channel 4	Reported by ITV
A potato farm in Yorkshire reported some fields down by almost a third, with lifting 20 to 30% below normal.	Not reported by Channel 5	Not reported by Channel 4	Reported by ITV
Cereal crops in the Thames Valley were harvested weeks earlier than usual.	Reported by Channel 5	Not reported by Channel 4	Not reported by ITV
The first heat wave in late May caused damage, particularly in southern England.	Reported by Channel 5	Not reported by Channel 4	Not reported by ITV
Most food prices were reported to be influenced by overseas factors, including drought in Europe, the war in Ukraine and escalation over the summer.	Not reported by Channel 5	Not reported by Channel 4	Reported by ITV
Food transport costs were rising due to surging fuel costs, with diesel expected to hit a new record and hauliers potentially passing costs on.	Not reported by Channel 5	Not reported by Channel 4	Reported by ITV
Supermarkets said they had plans to prevent food price surges.	Not reported by Channel 5	Not reported by Channel 4	Reported by ITV
A bakery was told its flour price would rise by 10% in October, with one using 1.5 tonnes of flour a month.		Not reported by Channel 4	Not reported by ITV
Food price inflation was predicted to rise towards 4% by Christmas and over 6% by next summer.		Not reported by Channel 4	Not reported by ITV
A farmer said imports would replace food shortfalls but leave the UK more susceptible to price shocks and reliant on other countries, calling food security national security.	Reported by Channel 5	Not reported by Channel 4	Not reported by ITV
Shops would either have to import more or raise prices.	Reported by Channel 5	Not reported by Channel 4	Not reported by ITV
Farmers said 2026 was their second consecutive difficult year, and a third for some farms.	Reported by Channel 5	Not reported by Channel 4	Not reported by ITV
Farmers faced significantly increased input costs affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, geopolitics and climate change.	Not reported by Channel 5		Not reported by ITV

This is a cross-channel consensus summary, not an objective account. Consensus can be uniformly wrong, or omit what only one channel covered.