Tag: Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 13 November 2024.

£50 million investment into internal drainage boards and plans to consult on new strategic vision for floods investment.

The government is bolstering England’s resilience to flooding through additional financial support to farmers and rural communities, as well as refreshing its approach to delivering funding to make sure it works for communities, Floods Minister Emma Hardy will announce today (Wednesday 13 November).

Recognising the significant impact of flooding on farmers, an additional £50 million will be distributed to internal drainage boards (IDBs), the public bodies responsible for managing water levels for agricultural and environmental needs in a particular area.

This transformational investment will put IDBs on a firm footing to deliver their vital role in flood and water management for years to come. IDBs that submit successful bids will be able to spend the £50 million on projects over the next two years. This will benefit projects that will improve, repair or replace IDB assets – including flood barriers, embankments and maintenance of watercourses. The funding will support projects which reduce risks and impacts from flooding to farmers and rural communities across England. The Environment Agency has begun work with IDBs to distribute the funding from today.

But the government has also committed to going further to protect communities from flooding. The government inherited an outdated funding formula for allocating money to proposed flood defences. Established in 2011, the existing formula slows down the delivery of new flood schemes through a complex application process, and also neglects more innovative approaches to flood management such as nature-based approaches and sustainable drainage.

A consultation will be launched in the new year which will include a review of the existing formula to ensure that the challenges facing businesses and rural and coastal communities are adequately taken into account when delivering flood protection.

The government has also today confirmed payments to farmers impacted by last year’s severe weather through the Farming Recovery Fund. A total of £60 million will be distributed to eligible farmers, via recovery payments of between £2,895 and £25,000 to around 13,000 farm businesses. Payments are expected to land in farmers’ accounts from 21 November.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:

Farmers are the backbone of the nation, with their hard work helping to put food on the family tables across the country.

More intense weather events are destroying homes, businesses and livelihoods across the country, with farming communities facing the heaviest consequences.

That is why this Government is reforming how flood funds are distributed to protect businesses, rural and coastal communities as we invest over £2.4 billion in flood defences across the country.

The government is investing £2.4 billion until March 2026 to improve flood resilience and better protect communities across the country, including from coastal erosion, with further decisions for 2026/27 and beyond made at the next Spending Review.

In September, the Secretary of State also convened the first meeting of the new Floods Resilience Taskforce. This brings together representatives from central and local government, Local Resilience Forums, emergency responders and the National Farmers Union, among others, to discuss how they will speed up and co-ordinate flooding preparation and resilience.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 7 October 2024.

Additional 5 billion litres of water needed every day by 2050.

Almost a fifth (19%) of water supplies are lost by water companies before reaching customers’ taps, a new report from the Environment Agency has found.

The new report published today (Monday 7 October) assesses water companies’ annual performance data against their Water Resources Management Plans (WRMPs), which include steps to reduce leakage, install meters and develop new additional supplies. The report highlights some progress has been made, but it also reveals areas of significant under-delivery, meaning improvements are needed in order to manage water resources efficiently and sustainably.

As part of the Environment Agency’s drive to be a more transparent regulator, this year’s report has been made public to shine a light on this issue, and to call for urgent and sustained action by water companies to implement these plans. By 2050, in order to support a growing population, the economy, food production and protect the environment, an additional 5 billion litres of water will be needed every day.

The Environment Agency requires water companies to produce plans to ensure secure and sustainable water supplies, which has driven the industry to set out ambitious new plans for the future. If implemented fully, these plans would lead to improved resilience against extreme drought, protect the environment and support the wider economy.

Key findings of the report include:

• Leakage: Despite a commitment by the water industry to halve leakage by 2050 and a reduction in leakage by 10% from 2017-2018 levels, it remains too high with 19% of water supplies still being lost before reaching consumers. The report breaks down water loss data by water company, with Thames Water and United Utilities identified as the worst performers for leakage per person. The industry must deliver a sustained reduction in leakage, particularly in the face of climate change, when extreme temperatures will make pipes more prone to bursts.
• Drought preparedness: While a year of wet weather meant there were no drought issues in 2023/24, some water companies still would not have sufficient water supply in some areas in the event of a drought. As extreme weather becomes more frequent, urgent action is needed to deliver new supply schemes and ensure they are ready for severe droughts.
• Demand reduction: The Environment Act set a target to reduce water use in England by 20% per head of population by 2037-38 from 2019-2020 levels. As of this year, there has been a 3.6% reduction. Metering plays a key role in influencing consumer behaviour and reducing household water use. Currently, water meters have been installed in approximately 60% of households.

Alan Lovell, Chair of the Environment Agency, said:

In the face of the enormous challenges on water resources, we have to tackle both sides of the equation – reducing demand and increasing supply. While we’ve seen some progress by companies, it’s clear that more planning, resources and investment are needed, particularly on leakage.

We expect water companies to accelerate their plans to increase water efficiency, reduce leakage and prepare for future droughts. We will continue to work closely with Ofwat and Defra to hold water companies accountable and ensure they deliver on their commitments to protect our environment and secure our water supply for future generations.”

Water Minister Emma Hardy said:

This report is a damning indictment of the sheer volume of water that is wasted by water companies across England.

As the climate crisis worsens and more pressure is placed on our water systems, we must fix our broken water infrastructure to ensure we have a resilient future water supply.

We have taken immediate action to reset the water industry including introducing our new Water (Special Measures) Bill to strengthen regulation and give the water regulators sweeping new powers to hold companies accountable. We are also putting customers at the heart of our approach by doubling compensation when supplies are disrupted.

Water company performance on matters such as leakage and drought preparedness and their wider delivery against water resources aspects of their business plans is one of areas considered in Ofwat’s annual Performance Reports. In the event that a company has not delivered against these plans they are asked to return money to customers through bill reductions.

The Environment Agency and Ofwat are urging water companies to focus attention and resources to improve the resilience of their water supply. The Environment Agency and Ofwat will be issuing letters to several water companies expressing concerns over their management of water supplies. These letters will be published on Ofwat’s website.

Further information

• The full report can be found here
• Approximately half of the water companies in England will receive a joint regulatory letter from the Environment Agency and Ofwat outlining specific failings and necessary actions for improvement. The companies are: Anglian Water, Bristol Water, Cambridge Water, Portsmouth Water, South East Water, South Staffordshire Water, South West Water, Southern Water, Thames Water, and Albion Water.
• Water companies must produce a Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP) every 5 years, which sets out how they will govern our water security and protection of the environment for the next 25 years in their supply area.
• Alongside a duty to publish a WRMP every five years, water companies have a further statutory requirement to produce an annual progress report. These are examined each year by the Environment Agency and Ofwat to measure progress on delivering the plan.
• The Environment Agency annual report summarises and reviews progress on key water demand and supply metrics across wholesale water companies in England, for the financial year April 2023 to March 2024.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 30 September 2024.

The Government has announced new laws to support precision breeding technology which will increase food production, reduce costs to farmers and allow drought and disease resistant crops to be grown.

New precision breeding technology to increase food production, reduce costs to farmers and allow drought and disease resistant crops to be grown will be brought forward under new laws, the Government announced today (Monday 30 September).

Using technologies like gene editing on plants, precision breeding will enable the development of crops that are more nutritious, resistant to pests and disease, resilient to climate change and more beneficial to the environment.

The measures will also reduce the use of pesticides, saving the important pollinators that are so vital to our ecosystem and promoting nature recovery. Additional benefits include boosting investment into the sector, supporting Britain’s food security, increasing food production and reducing costs for farmers.

At the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in London, Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs Daniel Zeichner announced that the government will pass secondary legislation required to unlock the benefits of the Precision Breeding Act as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Precision bred products have already started to undergo research trials, including tomatoes with high levels of vitamin D and sugar beet that is less reliant on pesticides. The legislation will enable these products to be rolled out across the country, reinforcing food security in the face of climate change, supporting our farmers and ensuring we become a world-leader in agri-food innovation.

Currently, only a few large multinationals can afford to navigate the complex authorisation process required to bring a new product to market. New legislation will simplify this process, making things fairer for SMEs and boosting investment.

Plant breeding currently contributes £1 billion in additional value each year to the UK economy and boosts yields by more than 1% per annum. However, to meet rising challenges in our food system and the environment, further innovation is needed, and precision breeding has the potential to add significant additional value.

The UK has a thriving science and research sector and by creating an enabling regulatory environment, the government will support investment in precision breeding to ensure our leading scientists and breeders can continue to develop this exciting technology.

Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner said:

This Government recognizes that food security is national security.

That is why today we are introducing legislation to unlock precision breeding to boost Britain’s food security, support nature’s recovery and protect farmers from climate shocks.

With these measures, our agriculture sector will be at the forefront of innovation across the world.

The Government will go further to restore stability and confidence in the sector, introducing a new deal for farmers to boost rural economic growth and strengthen food security alongside nature’s recovery.

We will protect farmers from being undercut in trade deals, make the supply chain work more fairly, prevent shock rises in bills by switching on GB Energy, better protect them from flooding through a new Flood Resilience Taskforce and use the Government’s own purchasing power to back British produce.

We will optimise Environmental Land Management schemes, so they produce the right outcomes for all farmers – including those who have been too often ignored such as small, grassland, upland and tenanted farms.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 28 September 2024.

Food and farming businesses to benefit from new export access to US.

The government has delivered a significant early victory for British farmers, securing access to the US market for UK beetroot growers.

Following extensive talks between the two Governments and trade representatives, this will open new opportunities for British farmers by increasing export opportunities and raising the profile of British beetroot in international markets – and is a springboard to grow the economy and expand UK trade relationships post-Brexit.

Daniel Zeichner met with his US counterpart, Secretary Vilsack at the G7 Ministers’ Meeting on Agriculture today to celebrate the milestone.

For the US, this will allow their processors to diversify their supply to satisfy demand for high-quality beetroot outside the US growing season, giving American consumers to access beetroot all year round from world-leading producers in the UK.

Industry estimates this new access will be worth approximately £150,000 per year in increased exports, with groups such as the NFU recently voicing their desire for the barrier to be resolved to allow British producers to benefit from the enormous potential of the US market, building on the recent successes of UK lamb in the US.

Minister for Food Security, Daniel Zeichner said:

This Government was elected on a mandate to support our farmers in trade deals – that is exactly what we are delivering.

This milestone marks a significant step forward for our beetroot farmers.

But this is only the start – over the coming weeks and months I will work tirelessly to back our British farmers and get our food exports moving again.

NFU President Tom Bradshaw said:

It is great news that after many years of campaigning, British beetroot growers will have access to the market in the United States for the first time. Being able to access the US market, supplementing local production, will help to meet rising consumer demand for this healthy, nutritional crop, creating genuine growth opportunities for farmers and growers in the UK.

I am especially delighted that this announcement comes days after we returned from the US where we were able to make the case for UK beetroot directly to government officials. Industry collaboration with government and especially with the UK’s agri-food attaché based in Washington has been key to resolving this issue.

It shows the type of wins we’re able to achieve with the UK’s expanded network of agriculture attachés following a number of years of campaigning by the NFU for the creation of these positions. Long may the collaboration continue so British farmers and growers can expand into further markets and increase sales of great British food overseas.

British businesses such as G’s Fresh will directly benefit from the opportunity to showcase their premium produce and grow their business in the US.

Graham Forber, Beetroot Product Director for G’s:

I would like to thank all involved in the assistance given to support our Love Beets beetroot development in the USA, in securing permission to import UK Beetroot. This will assist in our development and growth in processing beetroot in New York State while strengthening our supply across the USA.

I would like to thank all the parties who helped with this and particularly the support of the UK’s Agriculture Attaché at the British Embassy in Washington DC.

Defra’s Agri-food attaché in the US was key to delivering this win for the UK, building on the strong relationship between the UK and US. Defra’s technical experts and global network of 16 agri-food attachés are driving sterling progress to remove non-tariff barriers to exports of high-quality UK food and drink, which are worth £24 billion per year.

Defra will work closely with UK beetroot growers and relevant industry bodies to ensure a smooth transition into the US market.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 27 September 2024.

This afternoon (27 September 2024) Floods Minister Emma Hardy and Environment Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy have met to discuss response to the flooding experienced by the country in the last few days.

During the meeting, the Minister received a briefing on the latest situation on the ground and together they discussed how to bolster the response from the Environment Agency, emergency services and local authorities.

This comes as earlier this week, the Defra Secretary of State Steve Reed and Emma Hardy separately visited communities in Northampton and Leighton Buzzard, to assess the response with agencies on the ground and offer their sympathies to flooded residents.

It follows the Met Office confirming that more than double the average amount of rainfall for September falling in a matter of days, leaving surface water and river flooding affecting large counties such as Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Shropshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. The heavy rain and thunderstorms have led to around 650 properties being flooded. However, the Environment Agency estimates that at least 8,200 have been protected. Over 60,000 properties received flood warnings over the past week.

The Government is working at pace to step up further preparations for the winter. Lessons learned from these floods are being fed directly into the new Floods Resilience Taskforce to speed up the development of flood defences and bolster the nation’s resilience to extreme weather. The Taskforce brings together the Secretary of State and Minister Hardy with representatives from Defra, MHCLG, Home Office, Cabinet Office, the Environment Agency, the Met Office, Local Resilience Forums, Mayoral Offices, emergency responders and the National Farmers Union, among others.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:

“These floods have devastated communities, homes, businesses, and livelihoods. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected.

“I want to express my heartfelt thanks for the vital work that the Environment Agency and emergency services are doing to keep people safe.

“But more must be done to protect people and their homes. That is why the Government is working at pace to accelerate the building of flood defences through our new Floods Resilience Taskforce.”

Chief Executive Philip Duffy said:

“My thoughts are with the people affected, and we will continue to do what we can to help with their flood recovery, and I want to thank teams from the Environment Agency and our partners for their tireless efforts this week.

“With a wet autumn forecast, we are redoubling efforts to repair and maintain our flood defences and work with communities across the country to prepare for more wet weather.”

Environment Agency teams remain on the ground across the country, checking flood defences, erecting temporary barriers, clearing blockages in storm drains and supporting local authorities in their response work.

The Environment Agency has 250 high volume pumps either in action or on standby at strategic locations across the UK. They have also stepped up the maintenance of flood assets – with 216,000 checks on 75,000 flood assets conducted in the past year which is an increase from 150,000 in an average year.

The press release issued by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 26 September 2024.

The mitigation measures will help to prevent the spread of ASF across the border, protecting the pig sector worth over £8 billion to the UK economy.

Immediate measures have been introduced to protect pig farmers and industry from an African swine fever (ASF) outbreak.

ASF is a highly contagious and deadly disease in pigs and wild boar that can be transmitted through infected meat, but poses no risk to human health. The new safeguarding rules will help protect UK livestock by mitigating its spread across the border to the UK.

To safeguard the UK’s pig and farming industries, personal imports of pork and pork products from the EEA (European Economic Area), the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Switzerland will be banned from tomorrow (Friday 27th September), unless such products are manufactured and packaged to EU commercial standards and weigh less than a maximum of 2kg.

An outbreak of ASF could have a significant impact on the UK’s £8 billion pig industry, as well as its annual pork and pork product exports worth £600 million. It is estimated that an outbreak could cost the UK between £10 million to £100 million.

Biosecurity Minister Baroness Hayman said:

African swine fever is a deadly disease wreaking havoc in Europe.

These new measures will protect British pig farmers and pork products, preventing infected meat from being brought over the border and threatening our biosecurity.

The UK has never had an outbreak ASF, and commercial meat imports are routinely checked at the border to ensure infected goods do not reach UK shores.

Preventing an outbreak of ASF in the UK remains one of Defra’s key biosecurity priorities, and it keeps policy on personal meat and dairy imports under constant review, as well as works closely with devolved governments on contingency planning and preventing an incursion from infected goods.

Those found to bring pork or pork products illegally may be fined up to £5,000 in England. Products will be seized and destroyed on arrival.

Defra is investing £3.1 million to Dover Port Health Authority for 2024/25 to help Border Force tackle illegal meat imports and keep African Swine Fever out of Great Britain.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 26 September 2024.

Secretary of State Steve Reed visited an Essex farm this week to hear from NFU representatives and a farmer who recently had animals tested for bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3).

The Secretary of State, accompanied by Animal Plant Health Agency staff, including APHA’s Veterinary Head of Outbreaks for England Sascha Van Helvoort, heard about the impact this disease has been having on the industry and the importance of reporting livestock suspected of having the disease.

Bluetongue virus is primarily transmitted by midge bites and affects cattle, goats, sheep, deer and camelids, with case numbers now increasing dramatically in northern Europe. Symptoms include fever, lethargy, ulcers or sores in the mouth or nose, and reduced milk yield.

Disease control zones were put in place to control the movement of potentially affected animals as soon as bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) was detected. These zones have been under constant review and adjustment as the disease situation has developed, such as when evidence of local transmission of disease emerged. A single Restricted Zone is now in place covering the east of England from Lincolnshire to West Sussex.

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed, said:

I have heard first-hand the experiences of farmers battling this disease and we are working hard to prevent its spread into other areas of England and Great Britain.

We understand restrictions can have an impact but stress the importance of everyone adhering to these. We are committed to working with everyone affected and urge people to report livestock they suspect have the disease.

Sascha Van Helvoort, APHA Veterinary Head of Field Delivery and Veterinary Head of Outbreaks for England, said:

The increasing number of bluetongue virus (BTV-3) cases demonstrate the importance of vigilance from all livestock keepers and farmers.

We have field teams, vets and scientists across the country who are working hard to help tackle bluetongue virus and ensure farmers are being supported.

If you have any suspicions of disease, you must report this to the Animal Plant Health Agency immediately so we can provide assistance.

Defra has permitted use of the currently available unauthorised BTV-3 vaccines, subject to licence. We recommend animal keepers work with their veterinarians to decide if vaccination is right for their animals. To prioritise initial supplies, a general licence allows those in high-risk counties of England to use the vaccine. Specific licences can be applied for through APHA by animal keepers elsewhere in England who wish to use the vaccine

BTV is a notifiable disease. Suspicion of BTV in animals in England must be reported to the Animal and Plant Health Agency on 03000 200 301, 03003 038 268 in Wales or your local Field Services Office in Scotland.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 17 September 2024.

The UK has played a key role in securing a declaration to support sustainable agriculture and promote food security at a meeting of G20 Agriculture Ministers in Brazil.

Signing the G20 Agricultural Declaration, Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, Daniel Zeichner affirmed the government’s commitment to sustainable agri-food systems.

The Brazilian Presidency led negotiations which positioned agriculture at the forefront of addressing key challenges of fighting poverty, ending hunger, and improving nutrition, while confronting the triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

The efforts of the UK ensured that the Declaration encourages more sustainable agricultural practices across the planet, including halting and reversing deforestation.

Speaking at the G20 Agriculture Ministers meeting in Cuiabá, Brazil, Minister Zeichner called on countries to deepen international collaboration, including through trade, to create sustainable agri-food systems. The minister also used the occasion to reaffirm the UK’s commitment to join the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, when it launches in November.

Daniel Zeichner, Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs said:

It is vital that G20 countries work together to create sustainable agriculture and food systems, as well safeguard food security.

This declaration will help create sustainable and resilient global agriculture, essential to overcome poverty, climate change and biodiversity loss.

At home, we will continue delivering a new deal for farmers, boosting farmer confidence and food security, as well as stability and economic growth in our rural communities.”

The government will continue to champion UK food and drink on the international stage and Scotch whisky has recently become the first foreign product granted Geographical Indication status in Brazil since 2019. This new status could be worth around £25 million in trade over five years and will give distillers better access to South America’s largest economy, strengthening international recognition for Scotch Whisky.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 16 September 2024.

The new scheme for Toronto Close in Worcester has been welcomed by residents who were evacuated from their homes during devastating floods.

The Environment Agency, in collaboration with Worcestershire County Council, has completed a £2.5 million flood risk management scheme for Toronto Close in the Lower Wick area of Worcester to reduce the risk of flooding to homes.

Toronto Close has a history of flooding from the River Severn and River Teme, which impacts the water level of the nearby Laughern Brook during and after heavy rainfall.

In July 2007 16 properties flooded, with the depth of water reaching up to 800mm.  Further flooding took place in 2020 during Storm Dennis, when many residents had to evacuate their homes.

The scheme consists of an embankment across open land and through residential gardens along Laughern Brook as well as the strengthening and rebuilding of the existing historic wall along Old Road.

Two flood gates have been installed in front of existing accesses from Toronto Close onto Old Road. These gates will normally be open, and only closed in the event of a flood.

Area Flood Risk Manager for the Environment Agency Charlie Chander said:

“We know how devastating flooding can be and the terrible disruption flooding has caused to residents in Toronto Close in the past. We are delighted to have been able to deliver this flood risk management scheme that will help to reduce the risk of flooding to Toronto Close and hopefully help to give residents more peace of mind.”

The new scheme has been welcomed by Toronto Close residents who have experienced the devastation of flooding in the past.

Ray Grundy has lived in the street with his wife since 1980 and for the first 27 years they didn’t experience flooding. It was in July 2007 when flooding hit, following a wet summer and saturated ground led to flood water rising from the Laughern Brook and River Teme and some residents needing to be evacuated.

Ray Grundy said:

“It had been very wet all through June and then we had more than 24 hours of solid rain and the water kept rising.  Our house is slightly higher than some others in the street so fortunately we didn’t flood inside but we’ve had water coming up to the house. It was much worse for neighbours who had catastrophic floods inside and had the devastation of having to move out and stay in temporary accommodation away from the close while their homes were refurbished.”

Another flood hit the road in 2020 leading to further evacuations and more disruption for residents. Ray said the completed scheme has given the residents of Toronto Close peace of mind.

He said: “It means for the first time we can now go away on holiday during the winter and not have to worry if we are going to flood. Everyone is feeling more relaxed.”

Councillor Emma Stokes, Worcestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment said:

“This area has seen some devastating floods in recent years and I’m very pleased that this flood management scheme is now in place. Flooding has had a huge impact on people living in the area and this scheme will reduce the risk of flooding in the future. I’d like to thank everyone involved in making this a reality, in particular Councillor Alan Amos, who has strongly supported the scheme from day one.”

The crest height of the embankments and walls is based on historic flood level and the structures will, at their highest, be around 1.5m above existing ground level, reducing the risk of flooding to properties within Toronto Close from flooding like that experienced in 2007 and 2020.

Make sure you know your flood risk by going the GOV.UK website or search ‘know my flood risk’ to sign up for Environment Agency flood warnings, receive information on the risk in your area and what to do in a flood: https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/.