DAERA staff continue flood support

To support that work the department has issued a detailed technical bulletin to assist farmers working to reinstate their land.

Before carrying out any work in affected areas farmers must take extra precautions to keep themselves, their family and anyone else working on the farm safe.

Only carry out operations when ground conditions are suitably dry to carry machinery and equipment.

Travelling on wet fields is more likely to cause long term damage.

The technical bulletin can be downloaded from: http://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications/extreme-flooding-event-2223-august-2017-technical-bulletin.

Copies will also be posted to each farm business in Glenelly and Owenkillew areas.

For those who may not have access to broadband, hard copies of the technical bulletin can be obtained from the local DAERA Direct offices in Omagh and Strabane, and from local shops, post offices and churches in the affected areas.

Farmers must submit force majeure forms before 14 September. It is extremely important that affected farmers submit a force majeure form if they have been affected by the floods.

They can use this to note damage to their land as well as damage to field boundaries and as much information as possible should be included.

Remember that under cross compliance field boundaries must be retained.

If land is still not in an ‘eligible state’ in 2018, a further force majeure application can be made but it would be dependent on a similar form having been submitted in 2017.

Download a ‘force majeure’ from: http://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications/force-majeure

Useful contacts:

r DAERA customer helpline is 0300 200 7852 or email: [email protected];

r NIEA water pollution hotline is available 24 hours a day - 0800 807 060;

r ASSI forms 028 9056 9516;

r DAERA Countryside Management Branch 0300 200 7842;

r Farming advice CAFRE Advisors 0300 200 7843;

r Animal health and welfare DAERA 0300 200 7840;

r Forest Service customer number 028 6634 3019;

r Loughs Agency 028 7134 2100;

r Force Majeure form - available at this link: http://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications/force-majeure.