Drought funding welcome but ‘little more than a temporary fix’, says CLA
New government support to help farmers tackle drought is a positive step, but measures will fall short unless backed by sustained investment and strategy
The Prime Minister has announced a £65m support package for farmers to help cope with drought. A key element of the package is a commitment to make it easier for farmers to build on-farm reservoirs, alongside £15m of funding to support water storage projects.
The CLA has long called for greater support for water resilience infrastructure, arguing that reliable access to water is essential for food production, environmental management and rural economic growth.
In response, CLA President Gavin Lane says:
"The government has reallocated existing money from the farming budget to help farmers combat drought. This is a welcome and pragmatic move, but little more than a temporary fix.
The announcement that government will make it easier to build on-farm reservoirs is a positive step, but the £15m made available will fund a fraction of the reservoirs we need. This needs to become a sustained programme, with planning and abstraction lined up in support.
"The vast bulk of the cost of building on-farm reservoirs will still fall on farmers, who are already facing record costs as well as absorbing new tax burdens.”
The news comes as large parts of the countryside continue to face increasing drought pressure and a heightened risk of wildfires – challenges that are becoming more common as weather patterns become more unpredictable.
As greater strain is put on farming businesses, rural communities and the natural environment, the CLA believes that addressing drought and wildfire risk requires a long-term strategy that gives farmers and landowners the confidence to invest in resilience measures.
“The announcement is a step forward,” says Gavin. “But it will not change the reality that farming remains exceptionally difficult in this business environment, and in a country that does not have a plan for climate change adaption."