Owen Paterson has been forced to pull out of a planned address at the NFU conference, being held later this week in Birmingham.

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The Environment Secretary was due to give the keynote political speech at the conference, but ministerial sources said he has not yet fully recovered from emergency eye surgery, which caused him to retire from his duties at the height of Southern England's flood crisis earlier this month.

Communities secretary Eric Pickles has filled in for Mr Paterson in his absence. George Eustice, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Farming, Food and the Marine Environment will now speak on day one of NFU Conference in place of the Secretary of State, Owen Paterson.

Pickles updated Parliament on the government's response to flooding in the South on Monday. He said, "As weather patterns return to those more usual for the time of year, coastal and river flood risk is diminishing. Locally, the transition to recovery is underway and most local areas have convened recovery meetings."

The event in Birmingham will also see incumbent president Peter kendall step down after eight years at the helm. His successor will be decided in elections on Wednesday, the closing day of the conference. Current deputy and vice presidents Meurig Raymond and Adam Quinney have been put forward as candidates for the position.

Elections will also be held for the offices of deputy and vice president.