The latest application round of the Farming Recovery
Fund is now open to eligible farmers to apply for grants to help
them recover from February floods.
A £6 million fund to support farmers seriously affected by
February’s floods has opened for applications today (Thursday 18
June).
Eligible farmers and land owners in parts of Herefordshire,
Shropshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Staffordshire,
Nottinghamshire and North and East Yorkshire can apply for
between £500 and £25,000 under the Farming Recovery Fund to
support their recovery efforts.
These grants follow earlier rounds of funding for those affected
in the July 2019 and November 2019 floods, bringing the total pot
of funding to £10 million.
The Rural Payments Agency has introduced a simplified online
portal for the latest round of applications to make it easier for
farmers to apply.
The government has also provided a derogation from the crop
diversification requirement, which would have required farmers
managing more than 10 ha of arable land to grow at least two
different crops, and those with more than 30 hectares to grow at
least three, in order to receive the BPS greening payment for
2020. This relaxation was made to help ensure those farmers who
were not able to plant spring crops would not be unfairly
penalised.
Chief Executive of the RPA Paul Caldwell said:
We know the flooding in February had a devastating impact on
farming communities across the North and Midlands.
The RPA has been working hard to ensure farmers feel supported
during this time and from today eligible farmers will be able
to access the £6 million fund to help them get back on their
feet.
Our new online portal will make it easier for farmers and
landowners to submit an application and we’ve also given
farmers an extra month this year to apply for their BPS
payment.
Farmers in affected areas who suffered from flooding in February
are being encouraged to check GOV.UK and read the handbook to see
if they are eligible to apply for a grant to pay for uninsurable
damage caused by the flooding. This could include removing debris
or re-cultivation of grassland or arable land.
Further guidance on how to
submit applications can be found here.
