UK PM Andy Burnham announces £65m support package for farmers hit by drought

PM
A dy
Bu ham
a ou ces
£65m
i
d ought
suppo t
fo
fa me s/Image:
Reute s

Fa me s
i
E gla d
a e
set
to
eceive
a
ext a
£65
millio
i
gove me t
suppo t
as
d ought
co ditio s
co ti ue
to
damage
c ops
a d
put
p essu e
o
wate
supplies.P ime
Mi iste
A dy
Bu ham
a ou ced
the
fu di g
o
Satu day
followi g
the
d iest
July
o
eco d
i
E gla d
a d
Wales.
The
package
will
p ovide
additio al
suppo t
fo
sustai able
fa mi g,
help
fa me s
develop
o -fa m
ese voi s
a d
make
it
easie
to
access
wate
du i g
pe iods
of
d ought.“Today
we’ e
putti g
£65m
mo e
i to
suppo ti g
fa me s
th ough
this
d ought
a d
p epa i g
fo
the
summe s
ahead,”
Bu ham
said
o
X.He
added
that
food
p oductio
was
a
matte
of
atio al
secu ity
a d
said
fa me s
should
ot
have
to
bea
the
effects
of
a
cha gi g
climate
alo e.July
2026
was
the
d iest
a d
su iest
July
o
eco d
fo
E gla d
a d
Wales,
with
just
10%
of
the
lo g‑te m
ave age
ai fall
i
E gla d,
acco di g
to
the
Met
Office.

Whe e
will
the
mo ey
go?

The
la gest
pa t
of
the
package,
£50
millio ,
will
go
towa ds
the
Sustai able
Fa mi g
I ce tive
(SFI),
b i gi g
its
total
budget
to
£290
millio .The
additio al
fu di g
will
be
di ected
towa ds
a eas
faci g
the
g eatest
impact
f om
the
d ought.Fa me s
who
eceive
SFI
payme ts
to
ma age
pa ts
of
thei
la d
fo
e vi o me tal
pu poses
will
also
be
give
g eate
flexibility
to
cut
o
g aze
those
a eas
whe e
a
lack
of
g ass
is
c eati g
p oblems,
without
losi g
thei
payme ts.

A
fu the
£15
millio
will
suppo t
the
co st uctio
of
o -fa m
ese voi s,
allowi g
fa me s
to
sto e
wate
fo
use
du i g
futu e
d y
pe iods.The
gove me t
will
also
simplify
a a geme ts
gove i g
how
much
wate
fa me s
ca
take
f om
the
e vi o me t
a d
speed
up
the
p ocess
fo
obtai i g
wate
abst actio
lice ces.Officials
have
a ou ced
suppo t
fo
i e
ew
ese voi s,
while
five
existi g
ese voi s
cu e tly
have
exceptio ally
low
wate
levels.

D ought
th eate s
UK
ha vest

The
fu di g
comes
as
fa me s
face
decli i g
c op
yields
a d
poo e -quality
p oduce.Some
have
bee
fo ced
to
b i g
i
thei
c ops
ea lie
tha
usual,
while
othe s
a e
epo ti g
lowe
yields
as
the
p olo ged
lack
of
ai
affects
p oductio .A
ece t
a alysis
cited
by
Reute s
fou d
that
B itai ‘s
ce eal
ha vest
could
be
the
wo st
si ce
compa able
eco ds
bega
i
1984.

Fa me s
call
fo
lo ge -te m
i vestme t

The
Cou t y
La d
a d
Busi ess
Associatio
welcomed
the
gove me t’s
measu es
but
wa ed
that
the
suppo t
would
ot
be
e ough
to
add ess
the
wide
p oblem.Its
p eside t,
Gavi
La e,
desc ibed
the
package
as
a
tempo a y
measu e
a d
said
the
£15
millio
fo
ese voi s
would
cove
o ly
a
f actio
of
what
is
equi ed.“The
a ou ceme t
that
the
gove me t
will
make
it
easie
to
build
o -fa m
ese voi s
is
a
positive
step,
but
the
£15m
made
available
will
fu d
a
f actio
of
the
ese voi s
we
eed,”
La e
said.He
also
wa ed
that
fa me s
would
co ti ue
to
bea
most
of
the
cost
of
buildi g
ese voi s
while
al eady
deali g
with
high
ope ati g
costs
a d
additio al
tax
p essu es.The
gove me t
has
bee
developi g
a
b oade
espo se
to
the
d ought
followi g
a
Cob a
meeti g
o
ext eme
heat,
wildfi es
a d
wate
sho tages
ea lie
this
week.Bu ham
has
also
called
fo
g eate
i vestme t
i
clea
e e gy
a d
said
the
cou t y
eeds
to
adapt
to
cha gi g
climate
co ditio s.