Floods cost farming ‘as much as £66m’

The devastating floods which hit large parts of the country in 2007 cost the agricultural industry as much as £66m, a report by the Environment Agency has found.

The study into the financial costs of the floods says the industry suffered an estimated £50m in damaged crops, machinery and lost livestock.

But it says the final amount could be as high as £66m.

According to the report, the figures mean farmers lost an average of £1150/ha of flooded land.

It says 42,000ha of farmland was flooded, with the worst-affected regions being Yorkshire and Humberside, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire.

Farms in Yorkshire and Humberside faced about 50% of the total damage costs, it adds.

The Agency carried out farm surveys on 79 farms in the worst-hit areas following the floods, which are estimated to have cost the whole country £3.2bn.

It said more than 90% of the costs to farming were due to losses in farm output and additional production costs.

The remainder involved damage to farm machinery, property and infrastructure.

While 95% of businesses were insured, the Agency said just 5% of farmers were covered – leaving producers with a bill of more than £47m to cover.

The figures come as the Agency said investment in flood defences would need to almost double to £1bn to protect properties in future.

The report will be used to help investment in future flood risk management, it added.