YORKSHIRE farmers are to be given access to the government's Farming Recovery Fund in the wake of the Boxing Day floods.

And the news has been welcomed by both the NFU and the CLA.

The NFU's regional environment adviser, James Copeland, said it would be a huge relief to the local farming community who would otherwise face major uninsured losses with great swathes of productive farmland submerged beneath the floodwater.

The recovery fund was set up before Christmas in response to flooding in Cumbria, Northumberland and North Lancashire caused by Storm Desmond.

But it has now been extended to Yorkshire farms

Mr Copeland said: "With hundreds of acres of crops, and pasture land under water and livestock swept away, farmers will be grateful for some help in getting their business recovery under way."

The fund will help with the cost of restoring agricultural land to the condition it was in before flooding arrived. This means, for example, helping to remove debris deposited by floodwater, restoring access and trackways and repairing drainage on flood-damaged land.

CLA North regional director Dorothy Fairburn, said: “We’ve been pressing for the funding to be extended to Yorkshire so that hard-hit farmers get the same treatment as Cumbria, Lancashire and Northumberland.

“It’s a really difficult time for everybody across the whole of the North of England. Almost everyone has been affected by the flooding in some way."

More information, including an application form, is available from gov.uk/rpa or farmers can contact the Rural Services helpline on 03000 200 301.