FLOOD-hit farmers in Cumbria are not on the list to receive Government help after being pushed to the limit by the devastating storms that have hit the county.

Under the scheme farmers in certain parts of the country are to receive grants of up to £25,000 to restore land hit by flooding.

It comes as the industry warns of a "crisis" caused by severe weather.

Farmers said heavy rain battering the country since October 2023 has left agricultural land saturated, and often still under water, with arable farmers unable to plant spring crops and losing winter planting.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) warned that the rain, combined with unseasonable low spring temperatures, is also hitting livestock farmers, with a “bleak attrition rate” for lambs born this spring

On Tuesday government opened the Farming Recovery Fund to a limited number of affected areas – mostly in the South of England, and excluding Northern counties such as Lancashire, Cumbria, Northumberland, County Durham, Tees, with only Yorkshire currently ‘under review’ by Defra.

CLA Acting Director North, Henk Geertsema said: “Farmers have been pushed to the limit by Storm Henk, and while the fund is welcome, it risks being too little too late. It is also a kick in the teeth for farmers up and down the country who are not deemed eligible for this funding support.

"After a three-month void in communications from Defra, farmers still have no clarity on what ‘recultivation’ encompasses, whether they can make claims retrospectively, and what criteria makes the grant available.

“Farmers are quickly losing patience, and unless government urgently issues more guidance and commits to full compensation, they’ll continue to shoulder the burden of Storm Henk alone.

“The continued wet weather will have a dire impact on both arable and livestock farmers’ ability to produce food, which in turn will lead to limited and costlier choices on supermarket shelves.”

Under the scheme, eligible farmers can access grants of between £500 and £25,000 to return their land to the condition it was in before exceptional flooding due to Storm Henk.