Farmer representatives and local politicians have been pressing Government at all levels for financial support to be paid to farmers affected by floods in the northwest.

Most of the lobbying effort appears to be aimed at Brussels with NI’s three MEPs all calling for assistance at an EU level this week.

“There may well be something in Europe, the chance of getting anything significant locally looks slim,” Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) president Barclay Bell told the Irish Farmers Journal.

EU Solidarity Fund

The EU Solidarity Fund for natural disasters is currently being looked at by local representatives. However, it is understood an assessment of the cost of the damage must accompany applications and this must exceed €721m in NI in order for the region to be eligible for the fund.

Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson and Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness have jointly called on the European Commission to provide emergency aid that is quicker and more flexible to access.

The UFU has also said it is looking at the model of the Farming Recovery Fund which was paid to farmers in England in early 2016 and funded from England’s Rural Development Programme (RDP).

DUP MEP Diane Dodds has asked DAERA officials to look at options to allow RDP-funded schemes in NI, such as the Environmental Farming Scheme and the Farm Business Improvement Scheme, to be accessed by flood-affected farmers to repair fences and field boundaries.

Insurance

With much of the damage to farm businesses occurring on farmland, most insurance policies will not cover the cost of removing the vast deposits of silt and stones left in some fields in Tyrone, Derry and Donegal.

“The damage is unbelievable. It could take some businesses 10 years to recover,” UFU president Barclay Bell said.

Damage caused to farmyards and livestock deaths are more likely to be covered by insurance and farmers have been advised to contact their insurers to discuss potential claims.

Deadline

Farmers affected by flooding are also being reminded to complete force majeure forms before the deadline of 14 September in order to still receive EU support payments on land that has now become ineligible.

Forms can be downloaded from the DAERA website and various workshops are being held by farmer groups in affected areas.

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Full Coverage: Floods