Farmers affected by this year’s floods in the Yorkshire dales and near Wainfleet in Lincolnshire can apply for flood damage grants from the UK Government.

Flood-affected farmers can apply for a share of the £2m fund to cover non-insurable items, such as re-cultivation, reseeding and removing debris from agricultural land and reinstating field boundaries.

Grants

The works will be funded up to 100% with a minimum grant level of £500 and a maximum grant level of £25,000.

The works will be a reinstatement and repair in line with the economic value of the affected asset.

The scheme has three types of funding: quoted costs where three quotes will confirm the market value for the work; reference costs, which is a maximum paid for the works, with maximum value being pre-assessed using industry standards; and standard costs, based on a set price for the job using the benchmark of the EU Countryside Stewardship Scheme.

Intense rainfall

In July, parts of the Yorkshire Dales experienced some of the most intense rainfall ever seen, receiving 113mm of rain in just three hours.

In June, farmers faced serious flooding after a flood embankment breached near Wainfleet in Lincolnshire.

We know from speaking to our members on the ground just how costly the clean-up is proving

NFU vice-president Stuart Roberts said: “The reinstatement of the Farming Recovery Fund, which we called for, will be a huge relief to those farmers affected by the flooding events in the Yorkshire Dales and Lincolnshire.

“We know from speaking to our members on the ground just how costly the clean-up is proving [to be], with some farmers facing bills of tens of thousands of pounds to remove stone from fields, rebuild fences and dry-stone walls, and clear up thousands of acres of lost crops.

“The NFU will continue to work with Defra to ensure that the scheme is implemented and farmers are able to apply for the funding they desperately need.

Volatile weather events

“These types of extreme and volatile weather events are becoming ever more frequent.

"We will continue to work with Government to ensure it will take all necessary steps to protect productive farmland so farmers can continue to produce a supply of safe, traceable and affordable food for the nation and protect and enhance our rural landscapes.”