Forage Aid founder highlights ‘catastrophic’ flood damage on farms
© Alex Glen/REX Shutterstock The founder of the Forage Aid charity, Andrew Ward, has spoken of the catastrophic flood damage he has witnessed in Cumbria after a four-day tour of the region.
Mr Ward, who farms in Lincolnshire, said some of what he had seen and heard had been heart-breaking and urged farmers who were short of forage, straw or grazing to get in contact so the organisation could help.
“The situation is very different to what we saw in Somerset, where the floodwater came up and then couldn’t leave,” he said.
See also: Farm floods: Guide to practical and financial support
“In Cumbria, we’ve seen water rise very quickly and then leave very quickly. Yet in my view, the destruction and debris left behind is far, far worse and will take a long time to clear up.”
Mr Ward said during his trip he spoke to more than 50 farmers and visited over 15 farms and it had been a very emotional experience.
He has shared pictures and video of the damage he has seen through his twitter account:
Mr Ward said farmers who were short of fodder or had restricted grazing because of the floods, should apply for help from Forage Aid and he urged people not to suffer in silence.
How to ask for assistance or make a donation?
- Requests for assistance can be made through the Forage Aid website (www.forageaid.org.uk).
- The charity already has supplies of straw, hay and silage available and has also had offers of carrots, fodder beet and stock potatoes.
- The website can also be used by farmers to make cash donations – or to pledge bales, time or haulage capacity.
While he understood farmers’ determination to be self-reliant, the rest of the farming community was keen to offer its support as they knew what an impact the weather could have on a business.
“The situation they are in is out of their control and that’s why we want to help them.”
Mr Ward said the waters had been so fierce that it had decimated some stacks of straw and silage.
“We also helped one farmer this weekend who hasn’t lost any straw and silage, but he has been left with gravel over his grassland so he has nowhere to put his sheep,” he added.
Mr Ward said while the charity had a number of offers to carry out haulage runs, he suspected that they would need more in future.
“The length of this crisis will depend very largely on how long the winter is and how kind the spring is. But we will keep delivering for as long as farmers need help.”