Thousands of farmers still waiting for flood recovery cash

Thousands of farmers eligible for recovery cash from government following winter flooding have yet to receive their money.

The Farming Recovery Fund was set up by the previous Conservative government in January last year after Storm Henk.

It was subsequently extended in April to increase eligibility and given a budget boost from £2m to £50m in May, before the general election in July.

See also: Farmer warns repeat floods threaten food production

Some early recipients of the funding, who were eligible based upon location and rainfall data, have already received their cash, but others are still waiting.

Farmers were originally promised that they would be paid this summer.

However, the change in government has put a hold on things, with Labour ministers reviewing Defra’s previous work.

NFU senior adviser Richard Wordsworth said the scheme would “probably” go ahead.

Risks at all levels

But he added: “There’s risks at all levels.

“I don’t want to be alarmist, but until you get the announcement, you can only go on what you know.

“From the NFU’s point of view, we’ve been pushing and asking when we will hear about this.

“At the moment, we haven’t heard anything to move things forward.”

Mr Wordsworth went on to explain there was a possibility that some of the farmers who were worst affected by flooding could still be waiting for cash.

He pointed out that many had trouble establishing crops or had established crops destroyed.

Contracts can’t be filled

He said some contracts could not be fulfilled and that some land had been underwater for significant periods of time.

“The uncertainty about what is going to materialise [from the fund] impacts on their mental health, their finances and business cash flow,” he said.

“This potential support will obviously help to fill some of that financial gap.

“In the meantime, businesses have continued to operate, but the money could have helped before now if it was released.”

More information about the fund is expected from Defra “in due course”.