New measures designed to minimise the impacts of potential water shortages this summer have been met with approval by the NFU.
The Environment Agency’s (EA) Drought Prospects Report, published today, sets out the impacts of the drought to date, and provides details of extended restriction actions for water abstractors during spring and summer 2012.
In response, several water companies have issued temporary (water) use bans across Southern and Eastern parts of England, which will help to conserve available water resources.
NFU Deputy President Meurig Raymond said: ’Farmers and growers take water management extremely seriously. It is good to see that constructive dialogue between water companies, the EA, government and farmers, as well as better forward planning, has ensured that water resources have been available for essential uses such as food production.
’Most agricultural production in England and Wales is rain-fed, with only’one per cent of water resources nationally being taken from ground and surface water sources for agricultural use. The NFU is now discussing with water companies how drinking water will continue to be made available for livestock and with the EA on how restrictions on crop irrigation could be phased in to allow advance planning and use of voluntary restrictions wherever possible. ’’
’People need to realise that there is no quick fix to this issue. Increasing investment in on-farm water storage capacity will be vital going forward. To that end the NFU would urge to reinstate the tax relief for the cost of farm reservoirs in next week’s Budget.’
