Farmers eligible to receive up to £25,000 of government support in wake of flooding

Flooded fields near to Glastonbury Tor, Somerset. File photo (Dated: February 22 2024).
Flooded fields near to Glastonbury Tor, Somerset. Credit: PA

Farmers left to count the cost of damage caused to their land by flooding earlier this year could be entitled to receive up to £25,000 in compensation from the government.

The Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has now opened its Farming Recovery Fund (FRF), with farmers from eligible areas being contacted by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) - an executive branch of Defra.

The government had originally announced in January its intention to open the fund, following severe flooding caused by Storm Henk.

Farmers across the UK have previously told ITV News they have been left "really struggling" from relentless spells of heavy rainfall dating back to last October.

The wet weather comes at a time where global climate records are continuing to topple, with March recorded to be the tenth month in a row to be the hottest on record for the time of year. Last month also saw England experience 62% more rainfall than an average March.

How does the scheme work?

Under the scheme, eligible farmers could receive grants ranging between £500 to £25,000 in order to return their land to the condition it was in before flooding occurred.

Currently, the FRF is only open to farms in counties deemed eligible by Defra, including:

  • Gloucestershire

  • Leicestershire

  • Lincolnshire

  • Nottinghamshire

  • Somerset

  • Warwickshire

  • West Northamptonshire

  • Wiltshire

  • Worcestershire

This is because the government's Flood Recovery Framework - a scheme which the FRF helps to form - is currently active in all of these counties.

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Defra, however, has said eligibility rules will "remain under review" for the following counties:

  • Berkshire

  • Herefordshire

  • Oxfordshire

  • Surrey

  • Staffordshire

  • Yorkshire

  • Norfolk

  • Derbyshire

The government has already made some support available for farmers under the Flood Recovery Framework, including payments of up to £2,500 as part of the Business Recovery Grant.

Farming Minister Mark Spencer said: "I know how difficult this winter has been for farmers, with extreme weather such as Storm Henk having a devastating impact on both cropping and grazing, as well as damaging property and equipment.

"The Farming Recovery Fund will support farmers who suffered uninsurable damage with grants of up to £25,000, and sits alongside broader support in our farming schemes to improve flood resilience."

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