Dozens of farmers in East Anglia are breathing a sigh of relief after urgent NFU action led to water restrictions being lifted – but the union is warning this is just the tip of the iceberg.
More than 150 farmers and growers across Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire are set to resume water abstraction following a high-level meeting between the NFU and the Environment Agency (EA).
The emergency discussions were triggered after a sudden cessation order last week left around 240 growers unable to irrigate vital crops during one of the driest periods in recent memory.
At the meeting on Wednesday (16 July), the EA confirmed that approximately 150 farmers will have restrictions eased, allowing them to irrigate under new temporary measures.
Farmers will be permitted to abstract water on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights between 6pm and 6am, with the arrangement reviewed after two weeks.
NFU vice president Rachel Hallos, who addressed the meeting, said this was a "huge and very immediate concern" for many farms in the region.
“We are pleased to have been able to work collaboratively with the EA and Internal Drainage Board (IDB) to find a quick solution for some members.
"We will work with those members who have not had restrictions lifted and see what solutions can be found for them."
She added: “It is vital, moving forward, that we continue to work with the government and the EA to find long-term solutions to the increasing extreme weather incidents we are experiencing in this country – this problem will not just go away."
Ms Hallos warned that unless a more robust and forward-looking water management plan is put in place, the nation's food supply could face serious consequences.
“The scale of the problems we are seeing due to the dry weather on farms on the ground is horrendous," she said.
"It is costing farm businesses enormous sums of money, and some businesses will never be able to recover. This will threaten our national food security."
She also stressed the growing strain on the UK’s water resources and the urgent need for strategic planning.
"We need to ensure that agriculture's voice is heard, and I'm doing my upmost to ensure that is the case."
The restrictions last week stunned many in the Cam and Ely Ouse catchments, who had been making voluntary reductions and expected further phased restrictions – not an abrupt halt.
Responding to the crisis, the Environment Agency noted that prolonged dry weather continues to affect East Anglia.
“Low river levels and dry conditions means we have had to apply temporary abstraction restrictions in the South Level of the Fens," the agency said.
“These pre-agreed abstraction licence conditions are there to protect the environment and the rights of other abstractors.
“In future we can expect to see prolonged dry weather more frequently, so we encourage abstractors to make their business as resilient as possible and ask water users to use water wisely.”
Letters confirming the updated arrangements are expected to be sent to affected farmers on Friday (18 July).
