The UK government has announced grants of up to £25,000 (€29,000) for farmers who have been severely impacted by flooding in England.
Thousands of acres of farmland is under water and around 1,800 properties have been flooded following Storm Henk.
The UK Environment Agency has warned that significant river flooding impacts are expected to continue until Monday (January 8) in parts of the Midlands, Lincolnshire and on the River Thames, due to the recent prolonged wet weather and intense rainfall.
While risks are likely to start reducing over the weekend, the agency said that ongoing flood impacts are also likely across much of England over the next five days as some larger rivers slowly respond to recent and forecast rain.
Many rivers are elevated and will remain so for several days with multiple flood warnings and alerts still in place.
Environment Agency teams and first responders are continuing to work to manage the risk of flooding and protect communities by operating flood defences, clearing watercourses and putting up temporary barriers where needed.
Grants
The UK government said that flood-hit communities can now apply for grants to help them recover.
This support will be made available through a scheme called the Flood Recovery Framework, which is used in exceptional circumstances to support councils and communities following severe flooding.
The financial support for households and businesses will be available to eligible areas in England that have experienced “exceptional localised flooding”.
Farmers who have suffered “uninsurable damage to their land” will be able to apply for grants of up to £25,000 through the Farming Recovery Fund towards repair and reinstatement costs for farmers adversely affected by exceptional flooding.
The measures were announced by the UK Communities Secretary Michael Gove and Environment Secretary Steve Barclay.
“I know how difficult flooding is for those affected and we will do all we can do support households, farmers and other businesses as they repair and rebuild.
“45,000 properties are already protected thanks to our flood defences, and I would like to pay tribute to the work of Environment Agency teams, first responders, and others.
“For those who have sadly been affected, our Property Flood Resilience Repair Grant Scheme will soon be open to help residents protect their property in the future, while our Farming Recovery Fund will support farmers who have suffered damage as they work to put food on our tables,” Barclay said.
Flooding
The National Farmers Union (NFU) has renewed its calls for the government to implement a comprehensive water management strategy as a matter of urgency.
It has also demanded changes to the Flood Defence Grant in Aid cost-benefit analysis and fair payment for farmers who provide “flood storage” on their lands.
“As we start 2024, many areas are continuing to experience flooding with thousands of acres of productive farmland still under water and many crops not going to survive the winter with the huge financial stress and misery that brings,” Tom Bradshaw, NFU deputy president, said.
“This constant wet weather again highlights the need for government to recognise the strategic importance of domestic food production and urgently deliver solutions to mitigate the impact of flooding of farmland to ensure our farmers and growers can continue producing food for the nation,” he added.