Government Launches Fund to Aid Flood-Affected Farmers
On April 9, the government announced the opening of the Farming Recovery Fund, designed to assist farmers who have incurred uninsurable damages to their lands as a result of flooding this winter.
Farmers eligible for this initiative can apply for grants ranging from £500 to £25,000 to restore their lands to their pre-flood conditions following the severe flooding caused by Storm Henk.
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is directly reaching out to the eligible farmers to explain the support available from the Farming Recovery Fund and the process for making claims.
This fund is part of a comprehensive program known as the Flood Recovery Framework, which is activated during exceptional circumstances to provide assistance to councils and communities affected by serious flooding.
The funding will first be available in local authority areas where the Flood Recovery Framework has been activated, specifically targeting farms that have faced the most significant flood damage. These areas include Gloucestershire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Somerset, Warwickshire, West Northamptonshire, Wiltshire, and Worcestershire.
Defra will continuously review the eligibility for the fund to ensure it adequately supports regions with the highest levels of farmland impact. Additional counties under consideration for support are Berkshire, Herefordshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Staffordshire, Yorkshire, Norfolk, and Derbyshire.
Farming Minister Mark Spencer commented:
This winter has been incredibly challenging for farmers, with extreme weather events like Storm Henk severely affecting both crops and grazing lands, along with causing damage to property and equipment.
The Farming Recovery Fund will assist those experiencing uninsurable damage with grants up to £25,000, complementing other support measures aimed at enhancing flood resilience within our farming schemes.
In January, the government outlined its plans to launch this fund and sought input from stakeholders to develop the eligibility criteria. This evaluation has determined which fields qualify, allowing the RPA to notify eligible farmers directly and expedite the payment process once claims are submitted.
Farmers can already access support through the Flood Recovery Framework, which includes a grant of up to £2,500 as part of the Business Recovery Grant.
The previous year has seen unprecedented heavy rainfall in the UK, with 2023 marked by the Met Office as the sixth wettest year on record since 1836.
Since 2015, the government has successfully safeguarded over 900,000 acres of agricultural land from flooding’s impacts and is investing £5.6 billion to protect numerous properties across communities, particularly in rural sectors.
Update – April 11
In response to feedback from farmers, the eligibility criteria for the scheme have been revised to eliminate the previous 150-meter limit. As a result, farmers can now receive payments for all land parcels that are flooded and are contiguous to an eligible river.
Elena Rossi is a graduate of the University of Hohenheim in Germany, where she earned her degree in Agricultural Economics. Her coursework centered on farm management, agricultural policy, and rural development. Elena is dedicated to enhancing the economic viability of small farms and works as a policy analyst, advising on agricultural economics and food security issues in Europe.