£2m grant for Oxfordshire farmers devastated by wildfires

The announcement comes after multiple fires have devastated acres of Oxfordshire farmland.

The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) will open a £2 million Emergency Drought Grant to assist eligible farming households in England and Wales with household living costs from 7 September 2026.

Farm owners and tenant farmers can apply for up to £2,000 from the fund, with applications opening from September 7, 2026.

The grant, however, is specifically for personal and household living expenses and cannot be used for farm or business running costs.

Applications will be processed in five regional phases, with each area having access to up to £400,000.

RABI stated that the phased rollout was due to the varied impact of the dry conditions across different regions of England and Wales.

The prolonged dry spell has added pressure on farming households, with spring 2026 being the warmest on record in both England and Wales.

England received just 65 per cent of its average rainfall.

These conditions have led to extra expenses and challenges such as supporting livestock, restricted irrigation, earlier harvests, and lower yields.

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Farmers are being urged to take extra precautions to prevent fires during the busy harvest season (Image: Facebook)

These issues are now impacting household finances as farms prepare for 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.”

Ms Chivers added that RABI’s £2 million commitment was intended to provide direct support to households under financial strain.

She said: “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 given to livestock farmers affected by the dry weather.

The Addington Fund has opened its 2026 Drought and Bluetongue Emergency Grants for farming families facing short-term financial hardship across England and Wales.

The charity’s Forage Aid Scheme is providing grants towards essential feed costs where drought or bluetongue has left farms short of feed, fodder, or straw.

The Addington Fund stated that the prolonged dry weather, combined with the ongoing bluetongue outbreak, is adding more pressure on livestock businesses.

Unlike the RABI grant, which is specifically for personal and household living costs, the Addington Fund support can help eligible farmers meet essential livestock feed costs.

RABI stated that its 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 September, 7.

Ms Chivers said: “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.”

She encouraged eligible farming individuals 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 September 7, 2026.