Farmers will see ‘huge losses’ as calls made for compensation to be given
Farmers are likely to see “huge losses” after a relentless season of storms, one flood-hit grower has said.
It comes as the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) called for compensation to be given to those holding flood water in their fields.
Farms across England, as well as more than 1,000 homes, have been affected, and the union has asked for the government to make changes to flood defences and support schemes to better protect rural businesses.
Peter Gadd, a farmer in Nottinghamshire and chairman of the NFU’s crops board in the East Midlands, said Storm Babet and Storm Ciaran in the autumn hit within 10 days of him having sown a crop of wheat and barley – 40% of which washed away before emerging from seed.
He believes he has lost about £14,000 to £15,000 in the current floods, though he can only tally the total once the water has cleared, for which he will receive no compensation or insurance payout.
“Now all that water’s got to get away, and many of those ponded areas will have growing crops underneath them at the moment,” he said.
“So it’s going to be quite a while yet before it dries up until we know what we’ve actually lost. But as an absolute minimum, there’s going to be huge losses.”
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