PM help for Cambridgeshire farmers 'too little too late' claims MP
She said farmers have faced the "three worst harvests on record" in the last five years
A local MP believes the Prime Minister should have acted sooner when it comes to helping farmers in the county through drought.
The Government has pledged up to £15 million towards developing on-farm reservoirs, which allows farms to store water and be more resilient for long spells of hot, dry weather in future.
"He's (Prime Minister Andy Burnham) starting to wake up and smell the coffee," Pippa Heylings, MP for South Cambridgeshire, said.
"It's good to hear from him, but it's too little, too late.
"I've been talking to farmers in Cambridgeshire and across the country and what they're saying is they need a relaxation of planning rules so they can develop agri-reservoirs on their land."
£15m not enough, says MP
As part of its £65m funding boost for farmers, the Government aims to give more flexibility in environmental schemes, which it says farmers affected by drought can continue to receive payments and take practical steps to protect livestock, crops and land.
While farmers, growers and horticultural businesses across Cambridgeshire can also apply for grants of up to £50,000 thanks to a £1.3m Government grant scheme.
This is on top of improved access to water during drought conditions, including support from the Environment Agency and simpler water access arrangements.
Mr Burnham has said that off the back of a "third drought in five years, farmers are at the sharp end of a changing climate and they should not be carrying that risk alone."
But Ms Heylings believes current measures won't be enough.
"They need to relax the measures for environmental sustainable farming incentives and they need more money," she said.
"The £15m (for water storage) just isn't enough, so the minute we get back into Parliament, that's what I'll be calling for."
Business drop-off
Tom Martin, a farmer near Peterborough, has told us he expects to see business drop as crop yields fall because of the extreme heat.
"We will lose money this year, it's just how much money will we lose," he said.
The Eastern Powerhouse - which represents businesses across the East of England - has welcomed the £65m package of Government support for farmers to help protect food production.
But in a statement, the group believes this is just the start.
"The East still needs substantially greater investment in individual and shared agricultural reservoirs, more flexible abstraction licences, real-time water management and stronger coordination between farmers, Internal Drainage Boards, water companies and public authorities," the statement read.
"Above all, it needs a comprehensive strategy that treats water security as essential economic infrastructure for the whole Fens - not simply as a constraint on Cambridge’s growth."
'Banging the drum for farmers'
The Government is due to publish updated planning guidance for farmers around on-farm reservoirs next month.
Ms Heylings - who is waiting to hear from MPs to see if chalk streams can be better protected - said she is committed to making sure the concerns of farmers continue to be heard.
"I think one (aim) is to keep banging the drum that climate change is real, it's here and our farmers are the ones who are on the frontline who've been facing this," she added.
"They've had the three worst harvests on record in the last five years, so as a country, we have to be clear about what food we want to be able to grow in our country and we need to support our farmers for climate resilient farming."