Compensation and the impact of flooding on farm businesses will be among the topics discussed at a top conference this autumn.
The Flood & Water Conference will bring together farm leaders, government representatives, local authorities and other delegates. Organised by the Association of Drainage Authorities, it will take place on 13 November in London.
Speakers will include Defra floods minister Emma Hardy MP. Following widespread flooding last winter and spring, she is expected to outline the government’s strategy and water management plans.
NFU vice-president Rachel Hallos will also address the conference. The NFU has repeatedly called for a clear government plan to protect farmers and other agricultural businesses against flooding.
As a priority, it says this should recognise the public goods that farmers deliver – and include a proactive management plan for Environment Agency controlled watercourses and flood defences.
The NFU says farmland is often used to store flood water at great cost to the landowner to protect surrounding urban areas. It says farmers must be fairly paid for this with proper agreements that ensure land is able to properly recover.
Cambridgeshire fenland farmer Michael Sly, who chairs the North Level District Internal Drainage Board, will also address the conference. He manages water levels across 34,000ha between Peterborough and Wisbech.
Mr Sly, who spent ten years on the Anglian Northern Regional Flood & Coastal Committee, farms 2,000ha across three farming businesses in north Cambridgeshire and south Lincolnshire.
Floods last winter were described as unprecedented in terms of their impact on farming livelihoods – especially for growers and livestock producers in parts of Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire.
Agricultural specialist Mark Chatterton, a director at accountants Duncan & Toplis, said the floods were the worst he had seen at any time in his 24-year career – largely due to their scale and timing.
Debris removal
Flooding was especially costly because heavy rainfall began after winter crops had already been planted, he said. “We thought 2019 was bad – the worst flooding for many, many years – but this truly is unprecedented.”
Farms which remained waterlogged for weeks also had to cover the cost of removing extensive debris left behind. Meanwhile, livestock will be subjected to additional stress meaning they may not be ready for spring markets.
“All of this means that the floods this year have been far more costly for farmers than in 2019 and farms will face further costs as a direct result for years to come, likely with a poor harvest this year and poor cash flow for 2025.
“Speaking to farming families that had made all the right decisions, working day in and day out to run a profitable business only to find their profits washed away in front of their eyes is truly heart breaking.”
For conference details, visit www.ada.org.uk
