Persistent flood warnings increase concern among UK farmers

After the flooding in Bedford and Central Bedfordshire last year, the risks and costs of flooding are well understood by the county’s residents. Central government’s award of £6m in funding for managing flood risk at Pix Brook shows that Bedfordshire's homes, businesses and farms are experiencing the same flooding concerns as the rest of the country.

Due to persistent high water level, as of early November this year, a flood warning is in place for the Middle River Great Ouse in Milton Keynes, Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire. For the general public, common sense measures such as checking local weather conditions and avoiding flood-prone footpaths and areas should be sufficient. For farms and businesses in affected areas, however, something more is needed and so having a flooding plan ready to go is critical.

Flood and disease - a killer pair

Flooding across farmland can kill livestock but, so can what’s in the water. Poultry owners should be concerned about flooding not just because of the water rise itself but because the floods bring with them the increased threat of disease. International studies have shown an increased risk of Salmonella in livestock after flooding events, and as standing water is one of the biggest reservoirs for disease it is easy to see how, with a flooded water table and overworked drainage, domestic poultry will have ample opportunity to drink from contaminated water.

A demand for change

Whilst insurers are still trying to establish the full cost to homes and businesses of these events, the cost to the nation’s already hard-pressed farms is sure to run into the many millions.

In response, the National Farmers Union (NFU) Deputy President, Tom Bradshaw said of the flooding that: “Farming is on the front line of climate change and the sector is experiencing volatility and severe weather events more often. It’s why we absolutely need a long-term plan to improve how we manage water in times of flood and drought, as we regularly experience both on an annual basis, and both severely impact our ability to produce food.”

The NFU is currently demanding that the government strengthens its commitment to UK food security with firm action on water management. And fears of how this impacts farmers are shared across many industry groups, including the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), as they echo the NFU’s concerns.

Regional Director of the CLA, Tim Bamford said: “Flooding can have a massive impact on farming and the countryside, with crops damaged and rural communities often cut off.

“Farmers want to provide solutions to the climate crisis. But until the Government steps in to tackle planning delays and offer full and proper compensation to those storing floodwater, farmers will continue paying the price for problems they didn’t create.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) stated: "We’re conscious of the impact Storm Babet and Ciaran will have had on the farming community, and the important role to play in reducing the risk of flooding and coastal erosion as we adapt to climate change."

Amidst the looming threat of yet more flooding, an increased vulnerability to disease emerges for the nation’s poultry and livestock farmers, particularly as we approach a season when disease outbreaks are traditionally more prevalent across the UK.

Flood planning

Julian Sparrey, Technical Director at Livetec Systems, the farming industry’s biosecurity experts, said that in preparing for heavy rainfall: “Any pool of water has the potential to carry viruses. Building maintenance is paramount. It's crucial to ensure that your structure is truly watertight, particularly in the vicinity of roof fans, as water infiltration can occur there, and ensuring that water cannot gain access through the walls and under cracks in doors.

One way to check your vulnerabilities to flooding is looking at areas where water pools, looking for moss on concrete and on the sides of sheds and ensuring you have measures in place to prevent flooding in these areas.”

Biosecurity processes must also be followed too, according to Sparrey: “It is also critical to ensure that anyone entering sheds changes wet boots before entering a shed to prevent the introduction of rainwater. Taking extra biosecurity measures where there is a risk of flooding will be critical to preventing disease ingress through water."

With the threat of flooding at a national and local level increasing it’s vital to remain vigilant. To safeguard the future we must also be aware of the diseases that flood water can bring with it and the devastating impact it can have on home and business owners, particularly for the nation’s hard-pressed farmers. The best protection is to plan ahead for flooding, and the diseases it can bring.