Your Cornwall county NFU update

Severe drought has been declared in parts Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, this means additional steps are being taken to safeguard water supply. The Environment Agency has been tasked with undertaking increased inspection of abstractions licences for businesses to ensure they remain under their permit. Water companies will undertake increased monitoring of reservoir and river levels as well as water quality testing. 

NFU Deputy President Paul Tompkins said: “British farmers and growers know all too well the impact extreme weather is having on their businesses and ability to produce the nation’s food.

"The declaration of severe drought across parts of the country reflects the challenging conditions we continue to face with drought. We will continue to work to understand what any measures introduced will mean for agricultural businesses and advocate for increased access for water when it is available to refill reservoirs.

“To safeguard domestic food production, it is vital we strengthen our resilience to an increasingly volatile climate. Government must provide clarity on Water Management Grants to support the construction of on-farm reservoirs and remove unnecessary planning barriers, so more farm businesses can invest in this key infrastructure as they produce food for 29 million households.”

You can read more on NFU Online: National Drought Group update – severe drought declared in parts of England – NFUonline

Or on GOV.UK: Government activates plan to protect consumers as severe drought declared in parts of England - GOV.UK

We have had a visit to Cornwall from the PM himself, Andy Burnham. 

He visited a farm near Truro with NFU President, Tom Bradshaw and our Director General, Sophie Throup. We are very grateful to the Pryor family for hosting such an important visit and meeting, which showed the great aspects of farming in Cornwall, and an insight into some of the challenges too.

Our County Chair, Ashley Jones and Cornwall Livestock Rep, Luke Thomas then hosted Tom Bradshaw, Sophie Throup and Stephen Morgan MP at the Thomas' family farm near Launceston.

These further discussions included Bluetongue, dry weather and drought, and that group heard how members are affected in Cornwall.

Locally, Jayne Kirkham (Truro & Falmouth) has been in touch a number of times and attended the visit with the PM; Anna Gelderd's (South East Cornwall) team have asked for local information regarding bluetongue and drought, and Ben Maguire (North Cornwall) caught up with us at Camelford show. 

Several cases of bluetongue (BTV) have been reported recently in Cornwall. Be vigilant for signs of BTV and report it if you suspect it (remember it is a notifiable disease).

The increase in cases appears to be linked to the extreme heat that we've had recently.

To report a suspected case, call the Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301.

Signs and symptoms

Bluetongue affects sheep, cattle and other ruminants. It is a viral disease spread by biting midges, which affects all ruminants (e.g. sheep, cattle, goats and deer) and camelids (such as llama and alpaca).

Symptoms vary across ruminants, but include fever, lesions, redness of the mouth, eyes, nose, reddening of the skin above the hoof, excessive salivation and nasal discharge. However, animals may show little or no clinical signs.

Bluetongue symptoms (gov.uk)

Help and support

Should you require further support or advice on BTV, please contact NFU CallFirst on 0370 845 8458.

If you are in need of help or support in the aftermath of an outbreak, there are a number of farming organisations that can help.

If you are struggling or know someone who is, know that you are not alone. Our health and safety team have put together a list of available organisations that can support you.

You can find the latest information about outbreaks, and guidance about what to do, on the NFU website.

Useful links

Bluetongue help and information (NFUonline)

How to spot and report the disease (gov.uk)   

Latest situation for livestock keepers (gov.uk)

Help and support in the South region (NFUonline)

Forest for Cornwall have been awarded four more years of funding from the DEFRA Trees Programme.

These funds will enable them to support farmers and landowners to plant trees, integrate trees within existing farm businesses, sustain the local economy, and mitigate the effects of our changing climate. To date, they have supported the planting of agroforestry projects on 147 farms in Cornwall with more planned this winter. Their flexible funding means that they can fund projects that are led by you and what you want for your land.

Nature will also benefit on multiple levels, including improving the soil and reducing run-off and flooding, supporting cleaner rivers and streams, and creating increased habitat for birds, mammals and insects. Over 2 million trees have now been planted in a huge range of projects all across Cornwall.

This funding award which totals over £8.7million (to be spread over the next four years) shows the national support for the Forest for Cornwall's accessible and flexible approach to supporting and financing tree planting.

As beavers begin to return to parts of England, new guidance has been published setting out what this could mean for farm businesses and importantly, what support is available to help manage impacts on the ground.

This short briefing is worth a read for any member with rivers, watercourses or wet ground, as it:

• Sets out practical management approaches where beavers are present
• Highlights funding available through ELMS to reduce risk and support coexistence
• Explains how farmers’ interests can be protected as future releases are considered

While beavers can bring benefits such as natural flood management and improved water retention, they can also create challenges for farm businesses.

Key ELMS options to be aware of

The briefing highlights several existing options that can help farmers manage beaver activity:

SFI (Sustainable Farming Incentive)

• BFS6: 6–12m watercourse buffer strip (£742/ha)
  Helps reduce impacts by creating space between beavers and productive land
• Grass buffer strips (CIGL3, CAHL4, BFS1)
  4–24m strips to protect arable and grassland from edge impacts

Capital items

• BC3: Crop protection fencing (£6.34/m)
• BC4: Tree guards (£74.74/unit)
• BC5: Expert dam management (up to 90% funded)
  Supports protection of key assets and managing problem activity

Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT)

• CSW12: “Make room for the river” (£1,489/ha)
  Longer term option allowing natural river movement and reducing conflict
• CSW22: Connect river and floodplain habitats (£1,242/ha)
  Helps create resilient wetland systems alongside farming
• CSW25: Manage riparian habitats (£1,186/ha)
  Flexible option for improving water edge management

Additional support

• CSP9: Threatened species supplement (for additional support where needed)

It’s clear that making space for water and wildlife will increasingly be part of future land management, but this must be backed by:

• Accessible and practical schemes
• Adequate funding
• Clear support for farmers where impacts occur

We would encourage members to review the briefing and consider how these options could apply to their own holdings. We also understand some of these schemes are not open at the moment and uncertainty around them, so please reach out to us or your local CSF officer if you want more information

It has recently been confirmed that Natural England has granted a full licence for a wild beaver release in Cornwall, and further information about the project is provided below.

Over the past two years, Cornwall Wildlife Trust has carried out feasibility work to assess whether a licensed wild release would be appropriate for the county. Following this, a formal release licence was submitted to Natural England. In January 2026, the application was approved, and Cornwall’s first fully licensed wild beaver release has taken place in February 2026.

This marks the first time beavers have been legally released into a river system in the county, outside of an enclosed release area. The 10‑year project allows Cornwall Wildlife Trust to release up to 15 pairs of beavers into the Par and Fowey catchments.

A dedicated Beaver Project Officer is in place to support landowners with understanding beaver behaviour, managing impacts, and developing practical coexistence approaches tailored to local farming systems.

Anyone wanting to learn more about living alongside beavers or discuss support options can contact Lauren Jasper, Beaver Officer, at [email protected].

The Environment Agency has released a video for farmers and contractors on slurry store construction and SSAFO regulations. It explains slurry and silage storage management, the benefits of getting it right, and how to stay compliant. 

For more information: 

Farming Rules for Water: Guidance on Farming Rules for Water – NFUonline

SSAFO Regulations: Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil storage – what you need to know – NFUonline