Mr Burnham visited a family-run potato farm near Truro, Cornwall, on Saturday that has been affected by the drought.
Andy Burnham said the Government has a “long way to go to build back trust” with farmers, and that the UK needs to “guarantee our own food production going forward”.
It comes as the Prime Minister unveiled a £65 million funding package for farmers, amid fears hot, dry weather could drive up food prices on supermarket shelves.
Food producers have been facing a multitude of challenges in recent weeks as large areas of the country experience a series of heatwaves, little rainfall and drought.
Many have been forced to harvest crops early, while others are seeing lower yields and lower quality produce, following the driest July on record.
Mr Burnham visited a family-run potato farm near Truro, Cornwall, on Saturday that has been affected by the drought and met National Farmers’ Union (NFU) president Tom Bradshaw.
Speaking to broadcasters at Colwyn farm, Mr Burnham said: “I realise we’ve got a long way to go to build back trust with the farming community across the country.
“I think it’s probably been the hardest summer for British farming in a generation.”
The Prime Minister added: “I see food and farming as part of national resilience, national infrastructure.
“We need to be able to guarantee our own food production going forward.”
Mr Burnham said the £65 million funding package was “new money coming from Defra budgets”.
Speaking at a meeting with the family who runs FG Pryor & Son Ltd farm, Mr Burnham said the measures announced were “hopefully a sign of intent and an indication to the industry that we want a new conversation”.
The Prime Minister told the farming family “let’s be honest, we know we’ve got to win back some trust”, and said he was “praying for rain with you”.
Of the £65 million, the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) – which sees farmers receive payments to support nature – will receive an extra £50 million for this year’s pot.
Farmers will also get £15 million in support for building on-farm reservoirs to provide supplies during future dry summers.
The package will aim to support farmers who need to get water to crops, keep livestock fed where grass has failed and are struggling to continue environmental work without losing money.
As part of the package, farmers will see more flexibility in environmental schemes, such as the SFI.
This means those who are paid to look after wildlife habitat on parts of their land, and are normally barred from grazing or cutting it until later in the year, will now be allowed to do so where grass is scarce without losing payments.
Mr Burnham said: “With the parched nature of the fields, it’s really important that they can use all of the available land to graze cattle and livestock and sheep.”
NFU president Mr Bradshaw said the measures were a “really welcome start”, however, added that “it doesn’t affect the crisis today”.
Mr Bradshaw said “many farms are absolutely on edge because of a disastrous harvest”.
The NFU president added: “Fields that should be green are now brown. They’re feeding their winter rations out in the field now, and they’re also exposed to disease.
“The money going into the environmental schemes will help with building that environmental resilience for the longer term.
“It doesn’t help today, and today is where many of our members are facing into probably the most extreme challenge that many have ever faced within their farms. The worst drought in 50 years.
“We have to work together with the government to try to make sure that all of those farms are still in business in 12 months’ time, so that then we can plan strategically for the future.”
