Defra Secretary Liz Truss MP yesterday joined representatives of the NFU and Lake District National Park in Cumbria to visit some of the farms most affected by the flooding.
NFU President Meurig Raymond said: “We are pleased that Defra has recognized the severity of the problems facing farmers and that they see the need for swift and pragmatic solutions to be put in place as soon as possible .
“We look forward to hearing more details on the Flood Recovery Fund, particularly for farmers who are facing difficulties in making urgent repairs but who don’t have the cash flow to implement this.”
More...
- New focus on flooding after Storm Desmond
- Our Cumbria floods newsletter
- Our North East and North West flooding hub page – links to all of our updates
- Flooding in the North of England: What help is needed?
- NFUonline key topic: Flooding
- Stay up-to-date with the latest weather warnings and river heights: The NFU toolbox
The NFU understands that the application process for the fund will be much simpler and clearer and it welcomes the fund put in place – an important lesson learnt from a similar fund run after the 2014 floods in Somerset.
A number of organisations have come together to co-ordinate efforts in the aftermath of Storm Desmond. The primary aim of the group is to ensure that farmers are supported from a business and welfare point of view. This will ensure that all offers of assistance nationally and locally will be used to maximum affect and will avoid duplication.
If there are any NFU members affected by the floods, please contact your local group secretary or contact CallFirst on 0370 845 8458.