Farming Recovery Funds Opens

The Farming Recovery Fund (FRF) opens for applications on Friday 28th February.  This provides funds of £10m to farms in England hit by the recent flooding to bring land back into production, restore field access and repair drainage on flooded land.  Grants of between £500 and £5,000 will be made.  Some funding will be held back for a second round of the FRF later in the spring – this will have a higher upper limit but be targeted at the areas most affected by the flooding.

Eligible items for 100% grant funding include;

• grass seed to repair pasture (seed to replant arable crops is not claimable)
• contractors costs for soil restoration
• equipment costs for equipment to deal with soil compaction
• materials to re-make access tracks and contractors costs for the work
• materials for drainage works and contractors costs
• in ‘exceptional circumstances’ 50% grants will be offered for repairs and replacement of machinery, equipment and buildings damaged by the floods

There are a number of rules and restrictions around the scheme;

• only holdings directly affected by flood events since the 1^st December will be able to apply – applications will be cross-checked with Environment Agency data
• grants are not available for losses that are insured (or are normally insurable) 
• an application for grant must be approved before work starts
• three quotes are required for each item of expenditure
• grants cannot cover the reinstatement of field boundaries, lost income, farmers and employees own labour time, or the farms own machinery costs

The application guidance (and shortly the application form) can be found at – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/farming-recovery-fund-guidance-for-applicants.  Although paper applications can be made, DEFRA advising using the online form if possible for quicker processing.  The deadline for applications is 9^th May.  Although the sentiment of supporting flooded farms with a grant scheme is to be welcomed, we wonder if the FRF will really be that helpful.  The amounts available at present are quite small, and the process of application looks a hassle – not least getting three quotes and having to wait for approval.  Many farmers may simply decide to get on and start repairing their holdings from their own resources.